Parallel Hearts
by Princess Kazumi
Summary: Commodore James Norrington has lost so much that were very important to him including his love for Elizabeth until he met a young girl named Keiko Asano, who was a college graduate student and was a singer in a Japanese classical band. Drawn across over time and space, with James stuck in the 21st century Japan and Keiko dealing with a fictional character whom she had a crush on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Konnichiwa Minna and welcome to my first fanfiction, a lot of stories have been going on through my mind for a long time and that was fanfiction, and finally now I can sit down and type it on my new laptop and actually write it for both my homework and my fanfic writing. While browsing through fanfictions I noticed that many instances of the dashing pirate Jack Sparrow and the heroic Will Turner have ended up in a modern time…or ended up in another dimension…But shamely not so much of our dear Commodore James Norrington. Lahara, a fanfic writer of the "The Lost Commodore" was the only one to write a James Norrington fanfic by making him being stuck in the 21st century, but unfortunately it didn't complete the story for only 11 chapters, it was actually one of my favorite James N. fanfics, But in order to complete my favorable fanfic, I will have remake the story and slightly change scenes, the plot and the character (Sorry Lahara ^^', but still Love your character BTW). After all it's time for James to have an Asian love interest, whenever I read the fanfics of James Norrington with a love interest, it's always the French, and British even Swedish. So now it will be a Japanese girl to have James as his love interest in the story.

Also my dear readers is that you will learn the great deal of Japanese culture and the hidden meaning and connection string into the scarf of mine. Some of them will be just of fun and silliness or soft yet sincere nods while most will be on an increasingly higher level that I placed with great intentions. If you find something very interesting to add on my chapters, I would gladly make a respectful bow to you. Please review, but no bashing, cruel words or vandalizing to my working story, I am very sensitive to my feelings so if you hate or disagree my idea of remaking this story, just respect my work and leave my fanfic alone. Enjoy this lovely and adorable fluffy through my mind and remember to sit back, grab your soda, juice or coffee then your snacks and Enjoy reading this fanfic and review :)

The title of the story will be **"Parallel hearts",** a remake story of **"The Lost Commodore"**

 **Disclaimer:** I seriously yet sadly do not own Pirates of the Carribean, nor my cutie pie Commodore who leads the central stage of the story. I really can however, make him do whatever I want within my own fun ideas.

And also Keiko Asano is based on with the same name and singer Keiko Kubota, my favorite girl of the Kalafina ladies. (If you want to know all about Kalafina and their music, listen to their mixture of classical and pop music, it was so awesome and cool, I am so proud to be a Japanese and an American at the same time). That being said, Keiko Asano may be based on the original singer but her life and story belongs to me and Oh! She can do whatever she wants with the adorable Commodore Norrington.

Oh and one more thing…Please do not call me a stealer, I only wanted to remake the story and finish the fanfic story by Lahara (and I already asked permission from her by waiting for months) and besides I have stories that are all originally mine when I make a new fanfic story after my first.

 **~Biography of Keiko Asano~**

Name: Keiko Asano (portrayed by Keiko Kubota with the same name)

Age: 21 (born on December 20, 1986)

Nationality: Japanese

Hair color: Dark Brown

Eye color: Brown

Lives in: Kyoto, Japan

* * *

Keiko Asano was an average college student that would come across at first to many students, another face in a mass of students in any school located in Kyoto City. She was an average looking girl with her long brown hair curls with straight ends to her waist and has a straight hime cut that people would think she's like a living doll but nonetheless was an average looking girl to passing glances, mostly since she never had the time to effort her simple yet pour into her looks as trudged towards to class. Her skin was natural pale, but clear and without a freckle, just a small beauty mark on the left side of her eye. Her features were a mixture of a fully Japanese and Victorian Lolita looks of her face and has a slightly large brown eyes that again looks like a living doll. Keiko's mysterious yet beautiful brown eyes were often yet hidden by them, and their lovely warmth seemed to bring some attention that she was unaccustomed. Whenever she had a break from her university, she would go to the music room and play the classical piano then practices singing on her own without other people noticing, her singing voice was deep yet powerful to make the audience feel awed and loving it at the same time and her piano skills were very impressive and pro like. She also made friends who are the classical band members of the group at the university and she was one of them, they've been friends since they meet in their first day at college.

When Keiko was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a singer, but not a pop star or a rock star, but a classical singer and a piano musician. Her parents did not approve of her purpose, because as a royal member of the Asano clan, she has to take responsibility as the head of the Asano. The Asano clan was one of the noblest clans in all of Japan. After her parents died in a car accident, the council members of her clan decided to make Keiko, the heir of their clan to take place after she Graduates College. Having no choice but to sadly accept her fate to become the head of the clan rather than to be a singer she always dreamed of. She left her clan home where she will move to her own big yet a simple modern house, the council members of her clan accepted her to leave the nest for a while then after she graduates college, she will return home with her clan and take responsibility as the head of Asano clan.

This evening was her last finals, Trigonometry. Wearing her school uniform, she took a seat at the front of her classroom. Keiko was exceptionally smart, never having too much trouble in her classes, in her time with her clansmen, the family members of the Asano clan adored her and impressed with her intelligent skills, they think that she'll definitely be worthy as the heiress to their clan. Aside from her love of music, her fondness for art, science, history, and writing and even in English made it difficult for her to find a place to focus on her studies along with her energy. As a child this would bring teasing from the students and made her feel very isolated. She also has a very kind soul and is wise to her people, but can rather be stubborn at times. Keiko felt compelled to help others, even if it left her exposed or other would take an advantage of her. Having such an opening heart left her scared for over her 20 years of her life, but she never lost it along with her special light of dream and life.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh….. (Yawns)"

She slipped her hands under the pillow with her face buried in, curling up on the soft red leather couch. Keiko peeked up from the cushion and blinked at her reflection in the blank screen. She looked very bored and rather tired. It was no surprisingly really, that she had spent most of her time in daylight hours doing a length review in preparation for her test. Her eyes slowly wandered up to the DVD player with a stack of recently viewed movies next to it and mostly the movies were foreign American rather than Japanese, because she preferred to learn more about their American culture.

Her hazy mind slowly started to put the pieces together, far slower than it should be for someone. What better way to unwind then to watch one of her favorite movies of all time, Pirates of the Caribbean? As a little girl, Keiko enjoyed the idea of being a pirate aside of her status as a noble lady of her clan and her dream to become a singer. She even turned bed into a makeshift pirate ship of her own with her stuffed animals as her scurvy crew. She had even gone as far to tie a white sheet to an upright curtain rod, proclaiming it the "sail" of her fine ship.

Keiko got up and pull away her uniform coat and bag. It's seriously a very long day, and her last class was always unnecessarily hot, leaving her unnecessarily annoyed. One welcome shower later, she pulled on a white printed hello kitty T-shirt and a pair of pink hello kitty print pajama pants. Nana, her Siamese cat, meowed joyfully when turning around with her master's left leg purring at the welcoming sight of company in the bedroom. The fluffy adorable creature was satisfied with a soft stroke from head to tail but continued meowing her master for an attention.

"You poor girl… Must have been lonely with Oujisan and Obaasan not around and your Okaasan at school, ne?" Keiko sighed, referring to her parents and herself respectively.

She remembered when a police arrived at her home clan informing that her parents were killed in a car accident, The family members of the Asano clan mourned for their deaths including the daughter of the deathly couple who seemed to be mourning with sadness and loneliness for she was now an orphan, her family members and clansmen tried to make her move on and be strong, but still felt very lonely and sad until now, Keiko felt as alone and empty as the house did prior to her return.

Nana, purred at another stroke on her head to tail before Keiko made her way downstairs. She turned off the lights in the house, creating a faux "Movie Theater atmosphere" only far more comfortable. Curling up on the couch with a glass of cold lemon iced tea, she lost herself in a world of pirates and adventures as soon as the play button was pressed.

* * *

"This is the day that you will always remember as the day that y-"Jack couldn't finish his statement as he plummeted off the fort and to the water below.

Commodore Norrington along with Will and Elizabeth dashed to the edge, followed by a score of red coats, watching the pirate tumble into the water below. Gillette nearly sneered after a loud splash.

"Idiot. He's nowhere to go but back to the noose."

The group looked up and heard a loud cry proclaimed, "Sail ho!"

Emerging from the edge of a rocky cliff, well enough away from fort, a ship sailed a view. A Black ship with equally black sails. It was the Black Pearl. Jack let out a grin as he started to swim for it.

Gillette looked to the ship with his sneer fading, looked up to the Commodore, then back out to the approaching ship. "What's your plan of action?" He looked up to the Commodore once more, a bit more uncertain right now. "Sir?"

Commodore Norrington's eyes glanced back and forth, his emotions torn in every direction at once. Governor Swann watched him for a moment, sensing his indecision. So much happened for all of them within the past few days. He spoke up after a few moments.

"Perhaps on the rare occasion, pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy," He paused as James Norrington more than Commodore Norrington took this in. "Piracy itself can be the right course?"

Norrington slowly let a slight smile form on his lips as he looked down. He found himself again as his eyes watched the approaching ship. "Mr. Turner!" He turned his heel and approached the man he addressed from behind.

The young man faced him, Elizabeth taking his arm and holding him back for a moment. He pulled a bit closer to her, and spoke gently into her eyes. "I'll accept the consequences of my actions."

Will Turner returned to the Commodore, Elizabeth's hand holding his for a moment longer before slipping away from his arm. The Commodore raised his blade before the young man, his gaze locked on the reflective steel.

"This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same amount of care and dedication in every aspect of his life." Commodore Norrington finally met the eyes of the blacksmith who returned the gaze respectfully.

"Thank you"

Norrington lowered the sword and turned away with the other redcoats and officers and walked towards away from the balcony.

"Commodore!" Gillette cried out, gazing at his commanding officer in near disbelief. "What about Sparrow?!"

"Oh I think we can afford to give him one day's head start." He responded, raising his eyebrows a bit with a haughty air.

Keiko watched the scene played out, a smile on her lips. She had curled up on the couch once more, head resting on a few pillows. Her eyes were heavy with sleepiness and she wasn't able to fight it off much longer.

She closed her eyes, resting her hands under her pillow and whispered softly to one in particular with a soft giggle.

"That'll do James, That'll do."

* * *

 **~Japanese meanings~**

Oujisan/Oujisama – Grandpa/Grandfather

Obaasan/Obaasama – Grandma/Grandmother

Keiko - meaning "blessed child / respectful child"

Asano – meaning "Shallow Fields"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Kyaahhh! Two chapter in one day, I really wanted to give to you all my dear readers, my rendition of James as quickly as I could. I hope the last chapter is well received and well written, because I'm really good writing Japanese in Romaji than English, as is this one. Now, friendly readers, a mixture of Lahara's and mine's hidden imagery take on the depths of the mystical, mysterious and supernatural…Enjoy Minna!

* * *

That night, James Norrington did what any sensible man would after losing a wanted criminal, losing his fiancé to a Blacksmith, losing the fastest military vessel in the Caribbean, and Jeopardizing his rank after everything he had been through. He proceed to get drunk at his favorite club. He wasn't the sort of man to allow himself to become inebriated, but after the first few drinks he felt like he earned some form of dizziness and numbness.

James had a carriage taking him home to his mansion, rubbing his temples sorely while trying to figure out what went wrong. There was no doubt in his mind that he had done the right thing. He wanted Elizabeth to be happy, even if it wasn't him. She was a fine woman and deserving of happiness. Jack Sparrow, _sorry but no, Captain_ Jack Sparrow was a pirate, but maybe Mr. Turner had been right. Maybe, in his own way, he was a good man. James huffed a bit at that last thought.

" _Still a bloody pirate that I'll see him hung for good"_ He reassured himself.

His butler opened the door and welcomed Commodore Norrington's return. James faintly heard something about his accumulated mail in his study. Waving his hand in dismissal, James slowly made his way in that direction. He wasn't so horribly drunk that he couldn't find his balance, but it was making him increasingly sleepy.

Turning the handle to the darkened room, he moved carefully over o his fine mahogany desk and lit a lantern. He winced a bit at the sudden light, his eyes growing accustomed to it. Sitting down, not even bothering to remove his hat, jacket or even his sword. James' fingers ran over the pieces of parchment that were neatly plied up on his desk, obviously the mail from his absence. His jacket felt terribly stifling so he unbuttoned the top two for some faint ventilation. He flipped through the envelopes, reading the return addresses.

At first, nothing seemed to gain his interest. He was becoming more tired and didn't want to take time reading every letter. James lets out a slow sigh past his lips when he caught a notice of a strange piece of paper. It was folded inwards from the corner with a black seal holding it shut, and only his name scrawled with flourish was all made him certain it wasn't mistakenly delivered. It even smelt a little strange, something faintly flowery that tickled his nose a bit. He couldn't quite make out the shape of the seal, the vertical line having two round markings on each end. It wasn't sinister but very discomforting, like a secret that has never been revealed.

His brow furrowed for a moment, but slowly relaxed as curiosity tickled him from the back of his mind. It pushed him gently, urging for him to open the letter with more force at each beat of his heart. Relenting at last, he popped it open.

Something tumbled out onto his desk and gold lettering sparkled in the lantern light on the parchment. 'Not all treasure is silver and gold' it read with a lovely flourish. James, however was a little confused. The alcohol in his System was making it too difficult to contemplate philosophical words, so he stuffed the envelope and letter into his jacket's inner pocket and leaned back in his chair, making it ready to stand.

He intended to go upstairs and get some much needed to sleep for Sparrow's hunt tomorrow, when the shift of his position made a glint catch of his eye. He hadn't really paid attention to what fell from the parchment as he opened it, but it sat quietly glimmering from the flame of the lantern provided. It was a medallion, gold in color, which he slowly gathered it in his hand and pulled closer to examine it properly.

James had never seen such a craftsmanship in something that was smaller, than the palm of his hand. It featured a full profile of two figures, one male, one female with their backs pressed together. Each had their eyes closed with a very content smile on their faces. It reminded him of how looked to Elizabeth when she told him she gave her hand to him freely and unconditionally, of how his heart soared and tried to carry him away with it. The figures clasped their hands and had their fingers intertwined, both bowing their heads slightly and both with one knee bend at an angle, the other foot seemed to dangle downwards and did not touched the ground.

It seems odd to James, until his eyes moved up and took notice of why from the shoulder of each figure is a single feathered wing stretched upwards over their heads before sweeping down protectively around the two.

" _A Beautiful and Poetic image",_ He mused at that thought.

His thumb gently rubbed at the medallion, his eyes transfixed on its every detail. James didn't notice how the tiredness he had pushed away earlier started to seep its way back onto him. He didn't notice how the lantern's flame started to grow faint, but the medallion continued to shine and he felt his whole body getting gently tugged on a soft landing, and when realization did strike, he didn't really care and let himself go limp.

* * *

Keiko shifted slightly, a ray of morning sunshine had rested on her cheek and seemed to tickle her awake. Her eyebrows kneaded in discomfort from the bright light that penetrated her eyelids with redness, so she went to roll over her way from the offensive sunlight. Unfortunately she had forgotten all about falling asleep on the couch, and landed on the hard wooden floor with a thud.

"Itaaaiiiii…." Was all she could softly whine.

Her cheek clearing as the last bit of sleepiness was blinked away, she stepped over the TV and turned it off, bending slightly to reach the button. Lifting her head as she straighten herself out, Keiko noticed in the reflection of the screen that she wasn't alone in this room.

* * *

 **A/N:** If you haven't noticed that this chapter was similarly the same with Lahara's 2nd chapter of her fanfic. Please be patient with me and wait for the updating kindly :)

 **~Japanese meaning~**

Itai – Ow/Ouch


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Yay! 3rd chapter is already here!This chapter is where James and Keiko will finally meet but not in a friendly terms ^^'

* * *

Resting in a stuffed red leather recliner which sat in the corner of the living room of Keiko's house was a man. A sleeping man, who wore a hat, a wig, a sword, a pistol and an outfit with enough gold brocade to be classed as a Mardi Gras float. He seemed rather peaceful, and was terribly handsome even though he was a good decade older than her. But none of that seemed to register in Keiko's mind, only to fear at a stranger being in her home.

"KYAHHHHH!" was all that she could come out of her mouth.

James Norrington woke with a startle and jump a bit in his seat, letting out a startled yelp. Everything sort of hit him at once, he didn't remember much after leaving the club, and a slight throb in the back of his head was evidence of his drinking that evening. Did he enter the wrong room? It certainly wasn't familiar and had all manner of strange things inside. To make things worse some poor girl wearing a strange yet funny breaches woke him and was absolutely terrified.

Keiko rushed out into the next room. She had screamed in terror when she should have stayed calm and called the police. There wasn't time for that. If she ran upstairs she was trapped, if she ran outside there was no guarantee she would reach another house before he caught her and she couldn't get the phone.

Spinning around, she saw him starting to sit up, not noticing how surprised he looked as well. He was going to GET her! She glanced around the room quickly for something, anything to hold him back. Cast iron stove, piano, rocking chair, no…wait! Keiko saw what she thought, was her salvation. It was her father's Katana sword, hanging to the side of the mantle of the fireplace. It was a little bit heavy than the wooden katana that she used in her years of training with her father, he taught her how to defend herself from the opponent as a child.

Reaching up with both of her hands and grabbing the handle then opening the hilt of her first real samurai sword and puts her hands on the handle of her katana then making her stance like a samurai and pointed the tip towards the advancing stranger. It was heavy, but can hold it a little longer with all her strength as she kept both of her hands on the hilt to make sure she kept her perfect stance.

James Norrington was unfamiliar with having a sword pointed at him. His hand immediately went to his own hilt in reaction, but felt that would make this situation worse. The added annoyance of a throbbing sensation in the back of his skull, no doubt the result of last night's indulgence, added further difficulty. His pace of thinking was similar to a wagon stuck in a foot and half of mud. Grinding the resilient gears in his brain, James forced himself to evaluate the situation as a military man. He was, in fact, the intruder and she had done nothing wrong in wanting to defend herself. James slowly raised his hands as a sign of surrender and looked softly into her piercing brown eyes of a young woman before him. He tried so hard to convey with his own green eyes that he meant no harm, knowing that it would be helpless at the frightened female. Questions danced behind both their eyes, too much to say all at once.

"Anata wa dare?! Naze watashi no ie de anata o shite imasu?! Keiko pointing her father's sword at him with mixture of fear and courage. James winced from the girl's loudness then furrowed his brows with confusion of her language when Keiko says it once again but now English for him to understand easily.

"Who are you?! Why are you in my home?!" was all Keiko managed to get out, letting her fierceness wash over her fear. " _Don't show any weaknesses or it's over, remember what Otou-sama taught you from defending yourself from you opponent"_ she whispered in her mind.

He winced again at the volume of the young woman's voice, it had sent a streak of pain to that throbbing part of his skull. "My name is Commodore James Norrington of His Majesty's Royal Navy" James offered in a soft voice tone. Years of saying his title with force and commanding presence wouldn't help here, he needed to be gentle and understanding. This was something that he was not terribly used to. "I am sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to enter your home and frighten you."

A few words didn't make sense to Keiko. She didn't make a connection of the name, the man standing before her and the movie she watched last night. Fear had driven most of her rationality away and only a silver of that rationality was present, dominated of pure survival instinct. "His Majesty" and "Royal Navy" felt unnatural on her ears and she shifted her weight ever so slightly from that unfamiliarity.

"Then why are you asleep in my house?!Urusatonkachi!" She hissed through her clenched teeth.

James then again was confused of the last foreign word but went off the topic ' _Why am I here?'_ he wondered in silence, his eyes unfocused. ' _Didn't I…yes…I did get home. Brian opened the door for me, I went to my study…I read my mail…how did it lead me here?'_ He shifted a little, searching his mind for answers, when suddenly his memory stirred. He opened his mouth, more out of his surprise then to answer. _'That medallion! But how?! How did it-'_

"Well?!" Keiko growled inching closer. She had watched James deep in thought, then realization wash over his features. At one point he looked like he was going to say something, but didn't, which only made her angrier and feel more uncomfortable.

James looked back into her eyes and shook his head slowly. "I am not sure of myself Miss…please, I mean you no harm. I do not understand this situation myself, but lower your sword". He winced a bit, the last words sounded more like a threat then he intended. His hangover wasn't retreating fast enough.

Keiko was taken aback by his command, and she didn't trust him enough to obey him. "I'm calling the police"

She intended to push him back into the living room so she could reach a phone by advancing on him with her blade. In her mind, he was slowly stepping back with each of her step forward until she was able to reach one hand with the phone. Then she could dial 911 while she held him off with her katana still. Simple.

However, James took her saying _"I'm calling the police"_ as to mean she would literally shout out until patrolling marines would arrive. The young girl advancing on him was not what he thought she had meant and the situation seemed not to bode well. James would have to handle this situation himself, maybe even calm her down, but that unfamiliar sword posed a problem and needed to be dispose of.

In a swift move, James reached to his side and drew his sword. It flashed across the streaming sunlight and parried back Keiko's Katana. She let out a gasp and tried to hold on. It was slightly heavy, so she raises her katana above her head and strikes down with a hard stroke that made James' sword clinging hard and almost losing his balance but kept his stance. She swung away out of danger and her grip loosened, he swung across again, very careful to make contact with the blade and not its wielder, the young woman's blade swung again where she slices the wooden statue with a single stroke. His eyes widen with both amazement and fear _'That woman's sword can cut through with a single strike in half, I've never seen such a sword with its craftsmanship'_. Her arms trembled under the reverberations, its being pushed the opposite way now. She swung back at him with all her strength, more trying to fend him off then attack. James saw this as his opportune moment, with a slight bitter memory dangling back in the back of his mind and parried to throw her off balanced.

Clang! The two different blades made contact a third time. She stumbled under the force, dropping her katana as she began to fall. Releasing his own blade, he caught her wrists and spun her around, pulling her against his body, hands clamped together at the middle of her chest. James squeezed his forearms over her arms and his feet planted firmly spaced behind her so she wouldn't flail and hit him.

"Hanase!" Keiko squirmed against him, tears building up in her eyes and whimpers caught in her throat. James held her fast, but felt for being in this position. What on earth did this poor think of him now?

"Easy, easy there. I swear on my honor no harm will come to you". James whispered like he was comforting a skittish horse than a young woman. The soft scent from her hair cemented in place that this was, indeed a woman and not the former.

After a few moments, Keiko relaxed in his grip and lowered her head in defeat. He felt her breathing slow down, and her pulse relax though it was still fast. James let out a slow breath and finally took his surroundings.

The room was fairly peculiar, a mixture of familiar design and unknown. The walls were not wooden nor wallpaper, having a rough texture with parchment color. A fixture on the ceiling hung with three lanterns that had strange round globes in and four wooden blades close to its base. A wooden structure that had a series of cabinets and drawers was covered in odd trinkets that he had not dared to wonder their purpose sat on the far end of the room. A bit closer was a stove made of cast iron, something he recognized which brought some comfort. The walls had paintings of landscapes, a family portrait wearing their unfamiliar robes and a portrait of a very young girl. Close to his right sat a few rocking chairs and what could best be described as a piano that had been cut short and pushed against the wall.

"What…is this place?" James couldn't help but voice out.

This got sarcastic snort from Keiko. "It's my house, I thought I've made it clear."

He would have dwindled on that remark longer if it wasn't for the state of confusion he was in. He disregarded the retort and looked around again. "No…I've never seen a house like this in Port Royal, or London for that matter."

"Eh?" her mind had started to relax after the confrontation. She still didn't feel comfortable and especially not safe after being trapped in his arms. _'Port Royal…Port Royal…why was that familiar. Oh right, that was in Jamaica. Wait, wasn't it in the movie? His voice sounds familiar…what did he say his name was? I was so scared that I don't really care. Wait…no…no way… it can't be…'_

"C-Commodore Norrington? Are you really- are you really Commodore Norrington?!"

James heard his name mentioned. The strange room lets him confused, his fading hangover even more confused, but hearing his title centered him again. He actually felt comforted by the recognition, even if her accent was very odd.

"Yes. You…know me?"

Her stomach did a little flip. _This doesn't make SENSE! I mean I used to have a crush on him when I was in my younger teens, I always thought the Commodore was Kawaii…Okay sexy, but what the hell is he doing here in my house…in the 21_ _ST_ _CENTURY…in KYOTO!'_

"Sort of…" was all Keiko could meekly get out of. "Can you um…can you let me go? I won't hit you or call the police"

James blushed, remembering what close proximity they were in and released his grip, stepping back while apologizing "Forgive me for my actions…"

She paused for a moment, breathing deeply. Was this real? She peeked over her shoulder a bit, catching a glimpse of blue, black, white, and gold. Her bright brown eyes found his soft green eyes ones as she turned, fully facing him, the man whom she had a crush on. Keiko came face to face with Commodore James Norrington for the first time.

* * *

 **~Japanese meanings~**

Hanase – release me/let go of me

Urusatonkachi – jerk/asshole

Kawaii – cute/adorable


	4. Chapter 4

For as much as she had found him attractive in the movies, nothing had prepared for her standing in his presence. James Norrington's green eyes were more intense then she realized, even now. He stood straight with a powerful presence and being just over 6 feet tall only made him more intimating. His clothes were strange, that is to say, they weren't appropriate for this century in America or in England, but somehow looked pleasant if rather uncomfortable. Keiko probably couldn't even name most of the articles of clothing he wore. She felt her cheeks stings as she realized she was staring and blushing, so she quickly looked with an emotionless mask but her pinky blush was still seen.

James himself couldn't help but to examine her in return. Her hair was the darkest shade of brown while even still being considered such a color and has a strange hair bangs almost covering her eyebrows, falling around her face and halfway down her back in a loose wavy and rather immodest manner. It looked slightly messy but not unpleasant, like it was windblown. She was a shorter than him, the top of her head almost reaching his shoulder. Her pale skin without a trace of freckle or blemish, and long dark lashes that the most enchanting dark brown eyes he had found himself lost into her. They were intense and almost had a warm glow behind, not only she had such an enchanting dark brown eyes, her features appears to be like a living doll, a beautiful doll that any other people would be taken by its beauty and loveliness. Her clothing was quite curious, a white shirt with most of the sleeves gone and a very loose pink trousers covered with strange cats with ribbons on their left side of the ear and was barefooted. He looked at her seeing her cheeks turning pink blush _'She's certainly like a doll, a very pretty doll'_ He amusingly thought.

The two had quietly assessed one another over the course of just a few minutes, but it was enough to cause a quiet tension in the air. Both found one another intriguing and bizarre in the same instance, and yet each couldn't look the other in the eye for an extended period of time. Each felt uncomfortable, the silence of the two strangers evaluating the other as well as the circumstances of their meeting. The awkward moment seemed to drag on with a gravity of its own design.

Keiko pulled her hands in front of her and tented her fingers together for a moment in thought, then crossed her arms over her chest. She had to break this deafening silence. "I have to say this is all very strange for me, as I'm sure it's for you."

She bent down and picked up his sword, handing it to him as a friendly gesture. He bowed his head slightly in respect before taking it and replacing the blade in it's sheathe. Moving over to pick up her father's katana and replacing it on the wall before she continued talking to him.

"I don't know how to tell you this but I really have to. This isn't Port Royal, or Jamaica at all." Keiko bit her lower lip and looked him in the eye. James just clasped his hands behind his back and listens to her. "This isn't the 18th century anymore…you're in the future." He only raised his eyebrows at this. "Sort of…you see…you're a fictional character. You are from a movie- a um… a moving picture…sort of like a play."

She breathed out slowly and let it sink in. James couldn't believe what she had just said. He wasn't real? Of course he was! Wasn't everything that happened in the past few days, everything he felt, real? Certainly unbelievable perhaps, but he was fresh and blood. He actually feel a slight swell of anger at this, being told he was no more real than Hamlet, Othello or any other Shakespearean characters.

Keiko watched the confusion and frustration contort on his face. She quickly dove in before upsetting him. "I mean, in this world. Maybe you are real, in another world and time and in that place I'm just a character. In this world" She moved her arms around for emphasis, "you are a fictional character played by an actor. Maybe somehow the line between two worlds gone blurred."

She felt very satisfied with that answer. Keiko had read her share of science fiction and fantasy books before, so it seemed to come out a bit too naturally and make far too sense for her. James seemed to accept this explanation a bit better than her previous one. It made more sense than calling him unreal. A fictional character, indeed! After a while he finally spoke up.

"Then… if this is the future, when exactly is it?"

"A-ano…at the spring of 2006"

James quickly blanched at her statement. His legs felt like they couldn't support his weight any longer and started to buckle. He reached out and grabbed the first thing he could, unwisely it was the back of a rocking chair. It leaned towards him under his touch and resulted in James fumbling forward. Keiko rushed towards him and caught him, feeling the sold weight of a grown man threatened to overwhelm her, but stood fast. Her knees started to bend under his mass, and she let out a sigh of relief when James finally pulled away. He pressed his back against the archway that led to the room they both awoke in, finally finding his voice.

"Two…Two _ **Thousand**_ and six? James gasped and leaned against holding his chest. "That's…That's over 300 years…"

"Ohh…Oh Kami-sama, I'm so sorry!" Keiko looked around and pulled the rocking chair closer to him. "Here, sit! Please sit…ohh… I knew this would be too much for him to handle all at once. Let me get you something to drink."

James with a great deal of collected composure sat down. It was difficult at first with his sword at his side, but he managed after a bit and held his head. Almost 350 years in the future, with everything long behind him. Everyone he ever knew was gone. Even if this is another world, he had lost everything he ever had. His position in the Royal Navy probably meant nothing now. He had no family, no friends and no money, nothing to his name. Did England even exist anymore? And Elizabeth, beautiful Elizabeth. Even if he couldn't marry her he would never again see her face. James wanted to cry but couldn't bring himself to do it, he ached to scream but couldn't find his voice. He then noticed a pale hand holding green clear glass of water in front of his eyes.

The young lady had brought him a glass of spectacularly clear water and held it out to him with imploring eyes. He took it slowly, feeling icy cold wash over his fingers as he gripped it. Even her fingers had softly brushed against his felt a little cold to the touch. She pulled the other rocking chair over to him and sat down as James started to down the cold drink.

He let out a slow sigh and stared into the glass. "2006…Well then, where on Earth am I?" James paused for a moment and turned to her as a sudden fear flashed in his mind, his mouth open not wanting to ask another question.

Keiko saw his reaction to his own words, chuckling a bit. She smiled comfortingly, quickly interrupting such a silly assumption. "Yes…yes this is still Earth. You're on the same planet. Same stars in the sky, same moon." James turned a faint shade of pink and sunk back in the chair sipping the water a bit relieved.

"As for where, you are in what you might know a little of this country. This is the Kyoto City, in the central part of the Island of Honshu, Japan"

"Ah that gives an explanation of your language and your accent. And yes I've known a little of your country called Japan, we never sailed through there actually because it is an isolated country and only merchants can be allowed to your country and it is difficult to find and locate."

"Yes, it is true, until about 200 years ago at the time of the Civil War, the Americans arrived here in our country, forced the opening of Japan to the outside world with the Convention of Kanagawa. Subsequent similar treaties with Western countries in the Bakumatsu period brought economic and political crises. And also wishes to hire distinguished American soldiers to train the Imperial Japanese Army to suppress a samurai rebellion". James raised his eyebrows with the confusion with the meaning of the word _"samurai"_ If he can recall that correctly.

"Pardon me, Miss, but what is a Samurai?"

Keiko widens her eyes of a slight surprise and nodded for an answer "A Samurai is a military nobility of Japan. The word of Samurai in Japanese means _those who serve in close attendance to the nobility_." She smiled in satisfaction of her explanation as she continued "Do you remember the sword that I wield when I accidentally fought you" James remembered her holding a sword with a unfamiliar appearance and craftsmanship "That sword is a Katana which they were used by the samurai of feudal Japan." He nodded with both understanding and amazement until he saw her face slightly turn into a sadness. "The sword that I wield belongs to my father, it has been passed down from 15 generations." He looks at her with astonishment _'It's a little bit far from my time, I think'_. But brushes off the topic of her father's sword then continues her explanation "Anyway where was I? Oh yes, the Americans wanted to train the Imperial Japanese Army to suppress a samurai rebellion. However our people did not agree the Americans to remove our ancient culture and the war begins between the Americans and the samurais." Keiko paused for a second "It's a long story so I cannot tell you all the details but the rebellion also effectively ended the _samurai_ class, as the new Imperial Japanese Army built of conscripts without regard to social class had proven itself in battle. But in the end, both Americans and Japanese ended their rebellion on their good terms" She finished explaining about the Japan's history. James nodded with her explanation of her country as Keiko silent herself for a moment then begins to tell what happened after his time.

After your time, the colonies aren't under British control anymore. They haven't for over 200 years…It's a long story but all of the colonies in Northern America, except for the parts of Canada, are a unified country now. Actually, many of the places that England and other countries seized control of are independent countries now like India and China. There really isn't too much land left in the world to discover now. Mostly we want to learn about the stars, the past, new technology and how it can be applied." Keiko paused for a moment, catching herself. She had this terrible tendency to nearly lecture at times, as well as over analyze things. She really hated dominating a conversation, and was always scared of boring someone she spoke to. When she confused them was the worst of all things and with poor James being over 300 years behind the current events, this would pose a problem. "It's…a lot to go over. Are you feeling better?"

James had been, in fact, listening to her, and was startled by her question. He was finding her voice quite pleasant and relaxing. In fact, he realized suddenly that he felt very comfortable listening to her and had his strange predicament had slipped from his mind momentarily.

It…It is a great deal to take in." was all he could mummer back, drawing a long sip from the glass almost guilty.

Keiko looked down, feeling responsible in some way. She knew this wasn't her fault for him being here, but she always felt strongly compelled to help those in need. It was a compulsion that led her into being taken advantage of at times, but even after everything she had gone through in life she still felt the same urge. In a way, he did appear after she watched the movie. Sure, she watch it a lot before and never had something like this happened. Was she wearing down her DVD?

"I'll help you"

James looked up from the glass wearily. He was not fully certain he heard her right. She looked earnest, but was only a young lady that he would not allow to be dragged into such strange occurrence. "I would be grateful for any assistance," this was certainly true since he had no clue what to do, "but I do not wish to inconvenience you Miss…"

' _Oh that's right… I never told him my name.'_ She thought slowly, then looked with a slight smile. "I'm Keiko Asano. Please do not call me Miss…It feels too strange." Including her status as a lady of her household clan from her home, she's not really fond of being called ' _Asano-sama or Keiko-sama'_ "Just Keiko is fine."

James placed the glass down on the piano and got to his feet. ' _Though strange as things were, propriety should not be overlooked',_ he reasoned. She followed suit with a curious look on her face. He graciously bowed to her, something Keiko was very familiar with, of course, as the royal member of the Asano clan, many of her clansmen and her people give a respectful bow whenever she passed by them or welcoming her home.

"Thank you, Keiko, for such a generous offer."

It actually made her feel a little bit giddy and being usually shown such a simple yet mannerly gesture. Mostly her clan and some of the people who knew her status bowed to her before until now, except perhaps as more a mocking manner from the people who didn't like her. Biting back a slight giggle but controls her manner as a lady, for this is the first time that her foreigner crush _'from the 18_ _th_ _century…or from the fictional movie'_ , she responded by pinching the corners of her loose pants, crossed her left leg behind her right and curtsied just as she had seen in the movies.

"It would be my pleasure, Commodore." Keiko couldn't contain a light chuckle.

As she straightened up her graceful posture with a warm grim, it quickly disappeared when a strange whine came from her stomach. She hadn't really eaten yesterday and her hunger was starting to catch up. Keiko's face flushed a bit with embarrassment, and James' lips curled slightly with a faint smile.

A-ano…why don't we eat something first. I'm sure crossing dimensional barriers can leave anyone famished." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the kitchen.

 **A/N:** Awww Keiko-chan you adorable little cheeky girl, your witty banter delights me so much. Yes in case you're wondering for those who read " _The Lost Commodore"_ it was little bit similar but different the chapter that you read. Yes we already passed the year of 2006, but I had this story in my mind close to when this story takes place slightly similar to Lahara's idea. I'm guessing that it balances the world out, huh? Reveiws will be the pieces of my appreciation of love that you like my remake of the story! Just like babies, with none of the noise or growing up and leaving you forever! OMG… I am too young to think something like that. Please review…even if it's just saying _"I love this or that was a nice fanfic etc."_ While I know that each review doesn't equal the number of people reading, it does give me a better idea, if people are actually reading the product of my crazy-…creative mind. I hope the history of Japan satisfies your knowledge and understanding :)

 **~Japanese meaning~**

Sama – the high status of an emperor/empress, prince/princess or lord/lady


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I really can't wait for the chapter after this one to got up. But this has to come first, sadly. I'm so glad for all the reviews! Hopefully I wish you good thanks to you who read this fanfic! I can't tell you how glad I am that you like my story and I promise to reply each one of you. This chapter is really from James' perception. It's not in the first person, it's more like the camera is planted behind him for the most part. I will continue writing and enjoy this fanfic, but I have to keep my writings a step by step ahead of the posting. To make sure I can go over it for corrections and make sure the flow of the story. Anyway enjoy this chapter! I will post the 6th chapter later or tomorrow.

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Up until this point, James Norrington had not seen much of the modern day technology. Keiko's home was furnished in a mixture of Japanese and American fashion which that was supposedly an early American fashion so it came across as distant familiar to James ( even though America had not gain its independence in his time just yet). All of the electrical lights in the house were off, and steam radiators had clicked off prior to their waking. If there had been a black out, none would be really wiser. To James, he had indeed noticed odd objects alongside familiar things, such as an oil lantern (Her parents kept these around for style and in case of blackouts) with a strange long black device that looked faintly like a pistol with a red shiny trigger.

Keiko led the confused Commodore in her kitchen. This further confused him, seeing large shiny boxes, smooth speckled counters with all sorts of shiny and black contraptions on top. She reached over, moving her fingers gently over something on the wall which responded with an audible click. In the same instant, the white ceiling of the room lit up brightly, causing James to flinch and swallow a gasp. She seemed nonpulsed by the light and more startled by his reaction. His eyes were fixed on the glow overhead, and only drew his gaze from it when he felt her hand touch his. It comforted him a bit and she pulled out a chair with a short back, motioning for him to sit.

"How…how does that work? I see no flicker of flame and it lit in only an instant." James gaze back to the ceiling for a moment before back at Keiko. She had a slightly amused smile on her face, but it wasn't insulting.

"Right…even the study of static electricity didn't come around until the 19th century really. And even then the engineering only occurred in the 19th. She seemed to ponder this more than herself then answer his question. After a few moments she looked at him slowly, tilting her head and considering him. A grim slowly spread over her lips. "Alright Commodore Norrington, I shall explain it to you as best, but on one condition."

James looked at her a bit oddly. Certainly he was lost in this world, and such a question didn't seem to require a condition for answering. He realized quickly that he was indeed a pilgrim in a strange land and had no choice but to accommodate his patron's requests. This warmth in her eyes ensured him that she meant no malice, and he did hear a hint of playfulness in her tone.

"Very well." He bowed his head slightly.

She stepped forward and put out her hands, palm up towards him. "Please remove your hat, jacket and sword."

James quirked a brow at this. "It's not appropriate at the table." She assured him with a grim.

He let out a barely audible sigh and stood up, removing his effects. As he unbuckled the scabbard from his waist, he looked down at her. "Why my wig? It doesn't seem inappropriate."

Keiko smiled even wider, if it was at all possible. "Perhaps not, but it's not common to wear them now, especially men. Besides, I think you look better without it." He paused at her last sentence, but continued to do as she requested.

When he removed his jacket, he felt a slight relief in his body as the air passed easily through the fabric of his shirt. James draped it over her forearms gracefully as he realized he had been a bit warmer under the fabric. Had she not stated it was near the end of spring this year, and they were located in Kyoto? Its weather was similar to that of England, perhaps not as cold and certainly not as wet. He hadn't notice a fire in the stove, or the familiar crackle of flames. Perhaps this was similar to the light from the ceiling.

At last he removed his hat and wig, placing both in her hands. An errant strand of hair tumbled before his eyes, he quickly brushed it aside with a silent curse.

"Much better." Keiko's smiled turned to one of her satisfaction, perhaps a hint of triumph, as she bowed her head and took his effects into the other room.

James ignored the faint heat in his cheeks as she left and sat back down once she returned. "Okay now…" she slowly sat down across from him, drumming her fingers faintly on the wooden table. "This is difficult to sum up but I'll do my best. In your time electrostatics has been already experimented on, but full of its capabilities and it has not been explored. I don't think that was a standard knowledgement, but no matter. In 1750, a man named Benjamin Franklin linked electrostatics with lightning…something I'm sure a man living in the Caribbean is familiar with. He discovered many things and had a large share of inventions as well, including that electricity moved in a sort of current.

This current travels with a great speed and energy, and can be…uh-channeled through metal wiring. However, it is very dangerous from light lightning." James shifted a bit uncomfortably at this. "It produces heat as it travels through metal, and even causes some metals to glow as intensely as a firelight. Those lights overhead are a product of electricity running through it."

She watched his eyes fix on the ceiling as unease flickered over his face. "Don't worry, there's nothing to be worry about. While electricity can be rather dangerous we have many precautions and safety measures to ensure our…um…safety." Keiko felt very silly saying safety twice.

"Anyway, electricity powers nearly everything in the world today. We don't need lamps for seeing in the dark or fire for warmth. It's a big change from what you're used to, but technology started to advance very quickly once electricity came into equation."

James leaned back in his seat a bit, his eyes fixed on his hands resting on his table. This was so much for him to take it all at once, but he felt once again helpless. Lightning coursing through metal? His only encounter of this new strange technology was the glowing ceiling, and he had instinctively recoiled a bit from it. Being a military man he knew how to keep composed under stress, but in this world he had little to anchor himself on.

His eyes soften a bit as he recalled not too long ago coming face to face with the skeletal pirates and even battling with them. He handled that considerably well, but the intensity of battle had pushed him into action. Now there was nothing, saving a young woman that was eye level with his chest. Reminiscing more about the pirates brought forth a torrent of recent events. Elizabeth falling from the cliff. The capture of Jack Sparrow. The attack on Port Royal. The loss of the Interceptor. The search for Elizabeth. Finding Elizabeth and Sparrow. Her acceptance. Fighting the undead pirates. The return of Port Royal. Sparrow escaping the noose because of Turner. Elizabeth choosing William Turner, the blacksmith.

James could feel the edges of his eyes twinged begging for the wet emotional release of his tears, but he refused. Perhaps this was his turn in this new world. Was there anything left for him back in Port Royal? All that was really left was his dignity, and he was not fully convinced that he still had it. He felt a faint darkness swell in his heart, one of hopelessness and despair. He wanted to get rid of that quickly. James finally met the gaze of Keiko, she was looking to him with trepidation.

' _I hope they still have rum.'_ He thought almost bitterly.

It was obvious to Keiko that James just gone through a sea of emotions. While the Commodore was a reserved man, his eyes betrayed him in this instance. It was difficult to make out some of what bubbled underneath, and in truth his last expression worried her. Having watched _The Pirates of the Caribbean_ many times she knew what he had experienced and pitied him in a way. James Norrington didn't seem the sort of man to accept pity, but he did need reassurance and comfort. Her stomach let out another whine from being ignored. Then, Keiko let out a sincere smile.

"Alright Commodore, this being your first day in the new world, I think you should be treated to a special breakfast." She slightly slapped the table for emphasis, heard enough for knocking James from his own world. "And I know just a thing."

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 **A/N:** Awww Keiko, you cutie pie as always! the next chapter will be either later or Tomorrow. See you later ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Okay this has got to be my favorite chapter that I made today, This is like "getting to know each other" kind of thing. I realized that these two are blushing a lot and this clears up why a bit more. Keiko's shy and not used to being around with guys, plus she always found her prince charming…or _"Commodore charming"_ very handsome so it's no wonder why she's attracted to him when she first saw him. Keiko isn't about to go ' _fan girl frenzy'_ , but I think that us girls can relate to being around a person we find attractive and aren't 100 percent comfortable. She's not falling over herself, and I think she tries to cover it up (as most of us girls do) with humor. As for James…well…why don't read it for yourself. Enjoy reading this chapter!

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He watched Keiko where her grin never fades, stood and retrieved a strange black and silver device from the shelf. It had a crank and black cord protruding from it, the center black iron mass seemed to be able to rotate. To James, looked more like a torture device than a cooking implement. The cord fit seamlessly into a hole in the wall, and she resumed gathering items from the cabinet and a large box that opened which gave James a slight chill. He didn't pay close attention to what she had gathered, but fixed his gaze on a strange bottle of what looked like familiarly a chocolate Keiko had placed in front of him. It proclaimed to be _"Nutella"_ boldly on the label, and he watched the contents shifts as he titled it.

She noticed his intense interest in the melted chocolate, held back a giggle and continued to whisk a batter forming inside of a ceramic bowl. Cooking for someone _"man"_ else, (well her 2 best friends were the only ones she cooked for them when they visited her home) was a new experience to her, and was a little pleasant. James kept himself distracted a little bit longer, the gooiness of the chocolate seemed to entrance him.

"It is a strange thing." He said softly, not really looking up from the sight of brown goo slowly crawling to the lowest point of the tilted bottle. "You know so much of this world, and of mine. You even know about me." James pushed away that group of memories that were regularly creeping up in his mind. "Yet I have never met you, and all I know is your name."

Keiko stopped whisking the batter, feeling a bit awkward. She didn't talk about herself much really to anyone despite mostly everyone from Kyoto knows about her being the soon-to-be the Noble Lady of the Asano clan. Even few friends she had now took a long time for her to speak up with. She beat at the batter a little more before setting down the bowl.

"If that's the case, I shall kindly to tell you who I am." Drawing a long pause she fiddled with the device, her back still facing him. After a few painful moments of silence she turns around with her eyes closed then slowly opening eyes, she finally spoke again.

"I am the daughter of Lord Hisashi and Lady Fumiko of the Asano Clan or you would refer to it as The Royal Family of the Asano Household" James looked at her with surprise as she continued telling him more about herself "My family is one of most powerful yet noble clans in all of Japan… I was his only daughter and only heir." His eyes slightly widened with astonishment _'one of the most powerful, you say', he_ saw her looking sad and painful in her eyes but her face stayed confident and slightly proud of her status as Keiko turns back around.

Watching her back for a few moments, James sat up and smoothed his shirt and breeches out with his hands as tried to find a question to start at. They were far too many, so he plucked out one that bothered him a little.

"Where are your parents?" To James, this seemed an important piece of knowledge for multiple reasons. Back in Port Royal, it was unthinkable for a woman to be in the presence of a man she didn't know without an escort. There didn't seem to be any servants in the household since she is the Lady of the Royal Household, and no one rushed to Keiko's side during their scuffle so it had been to be just the two of them. The other issue was if he was to be confronted by an undoubtedly angered father for being in the presence of his daughter unattended.

Keiko flipped open the device and poured some of the batter onto the black iron. That was an easy question for her, but was too painful for her to answer it. "They're gone, my parents died in an accident 5 years ago, after they died, the council members of my clan decided to make me the heir to take my father's place and his responsibility as the head of my clan until I return home to my family." She felt her heart crushed remembering that forbidden memory and thought it was wise enough not to talk about it.

"My condolences…I am so sorry for your loss…I-it must have been lonely without your parents around" James said sincerely

"It's alright" She smiled sadly.

"Then if you are the Lady of the Royal family, where are your servants, your maids, the guards to look after you?"

He questioned her when his eyes slightly concern of her safety since she is the lady of the Royal household. Keiko looked up to him and nodded her head side to side slightly then answered his question.

"I don't need all of them, I just want live a normal life and learn how to be capable of taking care of myself, even though I am the lady of one of the most powerful clans."

"They just…left you to take care of yourself?" He put down the bottle of the chocolate syrup as his eyes hardened a bit. "Have they not considered the dangers of you without protection?"

Thankfully, James didn't notice her shoulders stiffen at his response. Keiko bit down on her tongue, holding the sides of the oven in front of her. _'Remember…he's from the 1700s…things were different then. It wasn't an insult. Calm. Calm. Calm down. Don't be sarcastic, it won't help. Be nice Keiko. Be nice.'_ She chastised herself a little more before turning to him with a soft smile.

"Yes, like I told you before, I can handle myself quite well. You must understand Commodore, women of this time are for the most part looked upon as equals. I can go where I have to go on my own without my maids and my servants to look after me, I can cook for myself, and I don't feel the least bit in danger. That isn't to say I do not take precautions to ensure my safety."

James forced back any retort, either verbal or physical. Her tone came across a bit like slightly pricked of pride. He wouldn't press the issue.

"Are you married?"

Keiko just raised her bare left hand, with the front of her hand facing him.

A little heat crept up the back of James' neck. He was bachelor, alone in the world, with only a single young woman in his refuge, who lived on her own even if she is a noble lady. No guardians, no chaperone. Perhaps in a few of his more intimate dreams would he ever think of such a situation, but it was terribly inappropriate none the less. A little thrilling in a way, but he was worried of what whispers she would be at the mercy from his inconvenient arrival and subsequent care.

He couldn't' hold back the blush in his cheeks this time, but perhaps lessened it. He turned his head away from her and fixed his gaze at the floor. "Is it… also appropriate in this age for women to be left without chaperone around a bachelor?"

Her eyes relaxed a bit. Keiko was aware of the social thinking he was used to, and didn't want to come across as mocking. It seemed like talking to him would have to be handled more delicately then she originally thought. Pressing a finger to her chin and looking towards the ceiling as if in deep thought, she said slowly. "Well…not terribly appropriate I guess. I can see how that might pose a problem. However, there's no social stigma against being alone with a friend. It doesn't matter even if they are of opposite gender as long as they are a friend. And it is mostly understandable for a friend not from the area to spend a few nights over."

James looked back up to Keiko, catching a faint smirk on her lips. He felt a little bit more relaxed and even returned a soft smile. He was glad this wasn't a problem, even if it was a bit uncomfortable. As she started to place down strange shiny plates and silverware on the table James processed her words further.

' _She already finds me to be her friend? I feel more like her ward than anything. I'll be eating her food, using shelter of her roof, sleeping in her-'James_ stopped that line of thinking quickly. It had floated up into his mind up as she had to lean overhim to put down a papery scrap next to the plate before him. He cleared his throat after remanding himself and finding his voice.

"Are you certain that I do not hamper you in any way?"

A smile was his only answer. Keiko opened her mouth to say something, but a strange noise blared behind her. She took the plate from him and return the device that had her previous attention.

"Excellent! And here, is your first taste of the new world." Keiko spun around with flair and placed the plate back down. It now had something round and fluffy with square groves in it that looked a bit like fresh bread. In fact, it smelled like fresh bread only sweeter. "Tada! Waffles! Enjoy, Commodore!"

He poked the fluffy bread with his fingertip. It felt soft and even a little porous. "James"

"Hmm?" Keiko tilted her head a little at him.

"If we are to be friends…then I insist you call me James. Commodore is far too formal." He looked up to her.

"Oh…sorry…ano. A habit I guess." She blushed a bit.

He gave a smile that Keiko would personally rate as perfectly charming. "Not a problem."

She turned to prepare her own breakfast when she heard his voice again from behind her.

"Er…Keiko. How-how do you eat this?"

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 **~Japanese meanings~**

Hisashi - meaning "long time director, ruler"

Fumiko - meaning "child of abundant beauty"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Yay!The seventh chapter is already here! And I am thankful that LadySakura19 liked my fanfic and I am truly grateful for her reviews that very likable :) Anyway enjoy this chapter!

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After preparing the next waffle for herself, Keiko explained the basic wafflology to James. "You just cut it up into bite sized pieces with your fork and knife. Not too tough. You can also put butter on it…sort of like toast." He was at this moment pushing down on the crusty top of the waffle with his fork, the poked the soft side and watched it slowly reform to its original shape.

"It's bizarre."

"It's tasty!" She said defensively and pouted cutely like a child. "Oh, and you can also pour chocolate maple syrup on it too… it's sweet and a little sticky. You might not want to though, not sure if you're fully ready for all of today's tastes, and sweetness on the top."

She peeled open the container of margarine and held it out to him. "It's butter…" _'Sort of…'_ She thought to herself, _'I'd have to watch myself or I'll be lecturing him until he's another 300 years older!'_

James eyed it for a moment, but started spreading the margarine on his breakfast without complaint. Keiko stood up and watched him eagerly from the corner of her eye while getting mugs for the two of them. He cut a small piece delicately, then raised it eye level so he might view it.

' _Oh well. I really am hungry.'_ He shrugged and gave in.

She couldn't hold back a grin when his eyes lit up after his first taste. She was forced to cover her mouth with her arm, quickly turning sideways. He wore a look of total delight, and he surreptitiously cut another piece. As delicious as this was, he didn't want to lose his manners and eat barbarically.

"Glad you like it." Poor Keiko was having a hard time hiding her smile, but James was too busy with his waffle to notice. "Tea, coffee, milk or juice?"

"Mmm?" He almost missed the question. "Oh…coffee if you please."

Keiko took a small plastic capsule, about the size of a shot glass, and wandered over to the corner of the kitchen. Her parents, well her father anyway, enjoyed buying all sorts of strange gadgets for various needs. More than likely most of them would certainly evoke an interesting reaction from James, but she didn't want to terrify the poor man. The device that she now worked on was a coffee machine that the excellent cups of coffee and only required water and a capsule like the one she loaded into the machine.

"Breakfast blend seems like a good bet". She placed the cup underneath, before turning to James. "I'm going to turn this on now, it makes some strange noises."

Actually, the first time she heard it operating she thought it was a moose was giving a mating call. Not that any moose were really in this area, but she worried one might of escape from the Bronx Zoo and made a terrified charge down highways and residential areas.

James squirmed in his seat a bit at the noise, but the rest of the meal was uneventful. They both ate in silence, Keiko spending most of the time trying to figure out what she was going to do with him. She drew circles with the end of her fork in a small pool of chocolate maple syrup. She slowly started to form a vague outline of a plan.

First they would have to figure out how he got here. Second, they would have to research a way to get him back home. She didn't know how that would work, but hopefully step one would shed some light on step two. After that, he could just go home and everything would be fine, right?"

' _I can't just keep him here, he's not a toy or a pet. Yeah I can see it now. "Ne Okaasan, James Norrington followed me home. I promise to take care of him!" Don't think so. Besides, he probably wants to go back home. It would be nice to have someone else around, and I could show him a world he won't live to see it. He doesn't seem so bad. I never thought as a bad guy in the movie. But…does he want to go home? If he does… the events of the second movie will play out. Oh no…is this ruining the story?"_

Keiko let out a frustrated sigh and sunk in her chair. James had finished his meal and was sipping his coffee now.

"Is…everything alright?"

"Eh?" Her eyes were still a little glazed in thought. "Yeah…well yes and no, working out a plan, but there's too many holes in it. Do you know how you got here?"

He regarded her for a moment, eyes unfocused as he thought. "It's hard to say exactly. I got something in the mail. Had a seal on it I never seen before. Wait, yes. A medallion…a very beautiful and strange medallion. Then I fell asleep." He drew another slip from the mug.

Keiko leaned forward in her seat a bit, she would have collapsed her head on the table. A sigh seeped past her lips. "You go across the lines of reason and rationality, from another time and dimension, but you slept through the whole thing?"

"Didn't say I had a clear explanation."

Another sigh, this time Keiko held her head in her hands. James actually found her frustration a little endearing. "Okay…I'm sure it wasn't the sleeping part that did this. So that leaves the medallion. What happened to it?"

Another long pause. "I was holding it before I fell asleep."

"I guess you didn't wake up holding it."

"I woke a little unceremoniously than usual."

Keiko blushed from remembering her reaction, glad her face was still in her hands. She rubbed her eyes from under her slightly covered bangs on her eyebrows in an effort to cover her redness. "I think we both did."

"Mmm." James finished his coffee, the mug concealing his smirk.

"You know, you are taking this better than I thought. Well, now anyway." She stood up and grabbed the dirty utensils, started to cleaning up the table.

James moved to help her but she stopped him. "Ahh Ahh Ahh… in the very least, allow me to treat you as a guest. Well, this morning anyways. Can't guarantee this sort of service all the time."

He grinned, biting back a retort. He was actually starting to enjoy himself a little. As Keiko moved over to the sink, he realized she was correct. The privileges his rank bought carried little weight in this world, and he was in no rush to return to Port Royal. James felt like he didn't leave all that much behind. While he couldn't stay under the care of Miss…no, Lady Asano forever, he could certainly enjoy his time here. Catching Sparrow could wait, and maybe when he did return it would be as if he never left.

After cleaning up the rest of the meal, she encourage James to wash his hands at the sink. Certainly it was the appropriate thing to do, but the jetting water did leave him a bit uneasy. She lowered the intensity and he quickly scrubbed his hands. Keiko left him to his own devices, and it took him a few moments too long to figure out how to shut off the faucet. He dried off his hands and waited patiently, standing in place. He wasn't sure to follow her, but he relaxed when she called out to him.

"I'm just looking where you woke up to see if I could find anything."

Let me help." He quickly left the kitchen through the archway she exited through.

This led him into the dining room, a place he had only seen part of when he had his confrontation with Keiko. Three windows covered in lace curtains hung to his right, and the walls of the room had displayed cases and Japanese cabinets with all manners of things inside. Somewhere deep in the back of his mind he wanted to examine everything with great detail, the beautiful candle stick holders, the tiny glass sculptures and the small marble chess set. Things familiar mixed with foreign shapes and designs. Even the two silver boxes with more black cord running out of them, both placed on the dining table with seats facing them drew great curiously. But that wasn't him. James' curiosity spurned, he moved around the table and through the next archway.

When he entered, he watched Keiko on her hands and knees, peering under a red chair. It took him a moment to realize it was the same comfortable chair he had awoken in. She's obviously aware of his presence, and didn't really mind being caught crawling since spoke without looking up.

"I checked the cushions and underneath but I don't see anything."

"Perhaps it was left behind."

She looked up to him quickly, her hair flipping a bit at the sudden moment. Keiko stood and pushed her hair on the back of her ear.

"Well that's not good. It's the only key we have."

James clasped his hands behind his back in thought. She shifted her weight a little, putting her hands on her hips. The two stood in silence, both minds pondering separate paths towards the same destination. Keiko's nose crinkled a bit.

"Shower."

Or maybe not.

"What?" James looked around, glancing out the window. _'Does she mean rain? Appears to be clear outside.'_

"I need a shower. It helps me think sometimes. I really need to wash up anyway."

The last sentence made him gain a little more insight to what she's suggesting. Something to do with bathing, he gathered.

"You probably should too. We have to find you some clothes too. Can't have you walking around in the modern world wearing that. While it's very nice, it might give the people the wrong idea. They'll think you're going to a very interesting party, or need to be taken away in a van."

James couldn't help scratching the back of his head a bit. "This…shower thing. It isn't…communal is it?" He remembered a bit of his history class of how romans would have community bath houses. It was a sinful time full of decadence and depravity and he prayed that this century wasn't so lacking in morals.

Her reaction answered before her words could. Her eyes went so wide and her cheeks couldn't stop blushing anymore. "What? N-no…it's…its individual. Very private. Well… except at the gym. But we don't have to worry about that."

Somehow that didn't fully comfort her from the state of embarrassment she was in.

* * *

If you notice that I've changed from ordinary maple syrup to Nutella chocolate syrup, I used to make a waffle with Nutella chocolate syrup and it tastes very good, I mean really good…It feels weird to have a guy wash up in your house that isn't your cousin. Even that feels weird -shivers- Poor innocent James, I like how he gets snarky again. Polite sarcastic but not mean. He's actually having fun! Keiko is a little infectious I guess. Please stop infections and protect the ones you love with reviews. _Okay maybe I'm a little over the edge huh…_

 _Sayonara dear readers, and until next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hey guys I'm back, as you probably know from the previous posts, I'm going to visit Tokyo tomorrow to see my grandparents and do other things as well. I plan on taking my Laptop and paper notebook so I can write things down that come to me while I'm away. If I can get a connection to the internet in my grandparents' home, I'll be able to update the story on my little vacation! Also I am going to write a little bit of "James Norrington goes to Disney Land", which I plan on getting into this story as 3-5 one shots. That is many chapters away, I know, but what I write down as Inspiration from my trip next month will be saved when I visit there with my family. I've actually planning that for over a week, I'm very excited. This chapter brings back the dear sweet fluffy Nana! You guys have been the best with all reviews and support!

* * *

To say Keiko was a shy person was an overstatement. However, unlike most shy people instead of retreating into a personal shell, she seemed to push herself outwards. When you force yourself to be the quiet one in the crowd for so many years, you eventually realize how unhappy you are there by yourself. While others laugh and joke together, you search for that perfect moment to put yourself there. But you can't, or maybe just won't. Either you are too scared or you just can't find that moment. At some point, the misery becomes too much and you change. At least this was how Keiko was. She would pull on a mask of courage to finally allow herself to operate in a social manner. Maybe she even felt a little bit of true courage was her own. But with any mask, while a bit of yourself peeks out, layers of your true self are hidden and obscure.

So instead of being a blushing recluse, Keiko grabbed the reins and did her own thing. At this moment she had convinced James to wash up and change his attire. Her first order of Business was to get him ready for the world today. It was certain that the search for a way to get him back to the 18th century would lead them outside of her home, so the sooner he was prepared for the 21st century world the better. James couldn't walk around in his normal navy outfit, so shopping for clothes was a necessity. _'I think my cousin, Takashi-kun has some clothes left in his room since he left to Paris for college, and it's been 2 and a half years, so I think he wouldn't get pissed off by letting me borrow some of his clothes for James since he is not here. But his clothes were not really that fashionable, oh well'_ Keiko hoped that some of her cousin's clothes would fit.

Of course, as soon as the two began their ascent of the staircase, the only other living creature in the house made herself known. Nana, the small co-dependent Siamese cat begged and meowed for attention from Keiko's room. This was very typical for her, as Nana would roam in her master's room for hours on end cuddling against the residents of the house quite contently. Waking up and ignoring the Siamese cat was difficult, and Nana made certain of that. James almost slipped on one of the steps at the first volley of wails, and couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow at the meow and burble that followed.

"Sorry…my pet cat Nana can be a bit loud. She's a bit…needy." Keiko encourage him to continue.

' _Actually the two of them are a bit alike. They both rely on me now, and they're both trapped in a ways. Better not take Nana out around James…she doesn't like competitions.'_ She giggled at this thought.

The upstairs was basically one hallway with the bathroom at one end, Keiko's master bedroom at the other. The walls had photographs that her father had taken years ago from her childhood to young adulthood including her family photos as well as an entire section of Keiko's lifetime of artistic achievements ranging from still life to an abstract finger painting. Her mother didn't want to take any of them down, and she had gotten over the embarrassment years ago. Her cousin's room and guest room connected across from one another halfway down the hall. Keiko opened the door to her cousin's bedroom, James examining a strange thin box standing on the table with a rectangular box with small squares and letters in it, and a small statues of people wearing their strange costumes (anime figurines) in each shelf before she pulled him inside by the wrist.

"I-I do not think it is proper for a stranger to enter the bedroom of your relatives." He commented while adjusting his collar uncomfortably.

"He's not here to complain. You're a little bit taller than my cousin, I think his sweatpants will have to do. The rest will definitely fit…my cousin isn't a small man."

' _Thank God for elastic. If it didn't exist we would be in a lot of trouble.'_

She dug through the drawers of the dresser on the far end of the room. Most of the room was taken up by a large bed and had a few dressers in the room. The other side, where Keiko searched through various drawers, had a few framed portraits with a small clock, various novel books that stand in between the book holders. The strangest thing in the room was a large black box, very similarly he noticed downstairs where he had awoken and the other side which was smaller than the one he saw in front of him.

Keiko had just set down a white T-shirt and a red hooded sweatshirt as he went to examine it. He moved his fingers over the box, feeling the cold smoothness of the glass. "What strange wonder is this?"

"That's the TV…um…Television. You watch thing on it, sort of like a window."

"How does it…How does it work?" His hands now explored the sidelines, finding the casing made of a substance he never felt before. It was thin, hollow, yet hard.

"Well… a moving image is taken by a camera, and travels through cables into the box." She pointed to the black cable box. "That box was connected to the television which produces the moving images and sound. You can watch all sorts of programs, entertainment, news, even informational programs."

"You said… I was a fictional character in this world. I was in a…" James furrowed for a moment trying to recall the word she used. "…a moving picture called a movie."

Keiko nodded.

"Am I on here… on the moving images you see here?" His fingers softly tapped the glass.

She took a while longer to answer. He had to find out at some point. "Yes…sometimes the movie is shown. In this world, there is an actor who played you in the movie. He looks just like you, and he-being an actor- preforms in other movies or television shows."

James stared at his reflection in the black glass, letting out a slow breath.

"Do you know his name?"

"Y-yes…It's… Jack Davenport."

James noticed his eyes flare a little at the name _Jack_. So his counterpart in this world shared the same first name with that damnable pirate captain. It was probably a coincidence, but it slightly bothered him all the same.

"Am I happy here?" He looked solemnly up to Keiko. "I mean…is he happy here?"

She sat down with one foot tucked under the opposite leg, the bed sagging a bit under the new weight. "I really can't say since I don't know him personally. As far as I can tell he is, he enjoys his work and gets employed often enough to keep him busy. Most of his work is done over in England so I didn't get to see it really. But I know he's married." Keiko almost clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing what she said was far too late.

James wasn't looking at her, his gaze having lingered to the floor. So he was happier in this world, or the closest version of himself at the very least. He spoke up at last, a soft and nearly distant voice. "I'm glad…I'm glad he could do right in this world. Whatever he did right, whatever choices he made that were the right ones, I'm glad he got his happiness."

Keiko slowly closed her eyes then made a soft sigh. Her brain was working overtime trying to figure out the right way to comfort him, the right thing to say. The last thing she needed to do was blurt out something without thinking. Finally she found the words.

"Things work out for everyone. Sometimes it takes longer, and places we never thought. We have to go through a long journey to find what is right for us. What he did right here, doesn't mean it is right for you."

She gathered the clothes in a neat pile and walked over to him with a gentle smile trying to comfort him. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. I have to introduce you to the shower before you can properly form a relationship."

He joined Keiko in a faint smirk and followed her to the bathroom. It was small and had two sinks, two mirrors, a bathing tub and what looked like hundreds of bottles on the shelves and sink counters. She set the clothes on the lid of the hamper and spread out a towel on the floor near the tub. She pushed back a thin stiff curtain that hung around the bathing tub before turning back to James.

"Okay, the clothes were pretty easy to wear. After you wash and dry up, p-put this own." Her face turned beat red as she pulled up a pair of black boxer shorts of her cousin's trembling slightly. "I-It's…ah…u-under-r-wear for this day and age. There are different kinds but…a-ano…"

James also felt his face redden, turning away to escape embarrassment. Unfortunately he looked towards the mirror and had to face his blushing reflection. He focused his feet for a bit until the blood in his face lessened a little.

"Socks" She held up the foot cloths, "Go on your feet obviously, I don't think you'll fit in my cousin's shoes. These are pretty thin so they should fit with the shoes you have on now. We'll get new ones when go shopping. I don't think anyone should notice with these on. "She pointed to the sweatpants next, they were black and made of heavy cotton.

He held up his hand. "I think I can fathom the rest. What is this shower you keep talking about?"

"Ah…" Keiko puts down the socks and turned to the bathing tub. "Okay, since we have indoor plumbing fresh water always gets pumped into the house and the waste is always carried away down the drains. When you turn on the shower water shoots out of here."

She pointed to the round showerhead that was set firmly high up on the wall over the tub. "It sprays water all over, and you wash normally with soap. This way the soap gets washed off fast and the dirt goes down the drains. When you turn these nozzles. The faucet here will release water, and to get the shower to start you have to lift this part up while water is running."

Sitting down at the edge of the tub, she turned on the water and checked the temperature. Keiko found hot showers preferable, but warm was a more appropriate temperature right now. "When you go in, close the curtain so you don't get the whole place wet." She stood and smiled at him. "Soap is in there, Shampoo is for your hair in the blue bottle. When you are done just turn the nozzles all the way to the right. It should shut it all off."

James wasn't sure what shampoo was but nodded politely. It was all rather confusing, and he still felt a little empty after hearing of his doppelganger. Keiko brushed past him towards the door.

"Oh yeah, if you ever need to…u-um… use the facilities you can use this." She pointed to the toilet in the corner by the door. "When you finish using it you press down on the handle and it will…um… take of the rest. Just remember to lift the lid"

She turned bright red at what she said. _"Oohh no! This is so embarrassing!Oh Kami-sama, I have to get out of here! I'm going pop a blood vessel in my face!"_ That was all she think could of as she slammed the door shut with her face deeply red. "If you need anything just call!" Keiko yelled while retreating to her room. "I-I-…I'll be in the room at the other end of the hall."

James felt they had both reached a new level of embarrassment right now. While they had spent these first few hours in getting to know one another and just plainly talking he had already lost the count of how many times they either became flushed or embarrassed. This was undoubtedly the most uncomfortable he had ever been in his life, and he hoped this _shower_ would help release some of the tension. He started to undress and neatly fold his clothes, praying silently that things would be simpler.

Keiko didn't handle her embarrassment as well either. She dashed down the short hallway, into her room, into the second room of hers, past her Siamese cat that begged for attention, leapt onto her bed and covered her face with a pillow. A few muffled screams later, she pulled the pillow off her face. She didn't particularly like acting this way. She was 21 with a royal status as the lady of the Asano clan, one of the most powerful clans in all of JAPAN! Not some giggling teeny bopper for crying out loud! Pushing all of her bangs on the side, her hands covered her face while she continued to groan to herself.

"Baka! Baka! Baka! He probably thinks I'm some horn-dog pervert by now. Why the hell can't I keep my mouth shut around some attractive men? I can't act this way, it's the last thing he needs right now." She rolled over her stomach, propped herself up on her elbow and assaulted her pillow with a balled up fist. "Stop…acting…like…a…teenager!"

Keiko collapsed completely on the bed now, face pressed into the pillow once more. "Agggghhhh…okay. That's better now."

Taking a long peek down the hall through two open doors, she eyed the bathroom door for a minute before sitting back up. With great dignity she rubbed her slightly messy long hair then puts both her hair on her ear. Nana titled her head at Keiko with great interest.

"Not a meow." She threatened the little fuzzy animal. Nana just burble up in response and pushed down her tummy against the wooden floor then lie down on the right side, a quiet request for a belly rub.

After dumping the leftover food and replacing it with fresh seeds (the water would have to wait since the bathroom is occupied), Keiko settled down on her bed again. Her eyes scanned the small room, briefly, searching for a way to occupy her time while James was…busy. Grabbing her iPod, she pulled her headphones and stretched out of the bed. Most of the songs weren't going to help her situation, in some way had to deal with love or in subtle way made her think of James or what was happening. Somehow even Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles as soon as the line about "All the lonely people" popped up and managed to seem inappropriate for Keiko. She gritted her teeth and switched to "Party x Party" by Vocaloid.

' _Oh well. Not everything always works out perfectly, I guess."_ She shrugged and closed her eyes then nodded her head up and down, but not before making sure the music wasn't too loud in case James needed something.

' _Things are just going to get more interesting.'_

* * *

 **A/N:** 0/0… Lahara, I can't believe you're letting me imagine James was in the shower room scene! OMG I feel not so innocent anymore! But I'll brush it off anyway and forget that happened. This is going to make things interesting…however, I'm not going to let Keiko's morals degrade so quickly! I think tension can be thrilling. I's like a horror movie, suspense makes it scarier than just gore (gore just makes you feel sick or disgusted, not true fear). Nana is from chapter one, in case you forget. Yes, I have a cat but it's not Siamese, it's a white cat with a blue eye at the right and a green eye at the left named Nana. She really is silly, and is that co-dependent. She always follows me wherever I go and always ask for tuna fish when she just sits there, staring at me meaning she's hungry for TUNA! She's really needs to have cat friends.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** _Hey readers I'M BACK!I'm happy to be back to continue writing this fanfic. After my visit with my grandparents in Japan and went to Hong kong Disneyland "which I must say, had a great time with my family", I didn't update from my computer since I stupidly left my laptop charger at home while being away for a week._

 _Anyway…for any of you heading to Disneyland, you must see Jack Sparrow including his bonnie lass, Angelica held near the PotC ride on the side that has a gate near. The actor playing as Jack looks like him a great deal…sounds like him too (except when he shouts…but that's okay) while Angelica, not so much but similarly acts like her._

 _*BLUSHES FURIOUSLY* Oh Kami-sama! I'm starting to imagine James shirtless 0/0!_

* * *

James managed to shower without much difficulty. He even found a seas sponge on a rack which hung from the inside and made use of it. He didn't touch the blue bottle of "shampoo" since he wasn't fully sure of what to make of it. When he first stepped into the shower, James was surprised and soothed by the cascade of warm water. His muscles groaned and relaxed in relief quickly under its effects. His mind wandered a bit, curious as to what other innovations came with this era. He turned the metal knobs as instructed when he was done bathing. Then, he pushed back the curtain to be assaulted by the cool air.

A faint shiver in his spine, and he quickly grabbed a towel to dry and rub some warmth back into his body. There was a faint whisper of even colder air emanating from a window with wooden shutters, and he wrapped the towel defensively around his waist. James wiped the clouded mirror with his hand and gazed at his reflection. He looked far different from yesterday morning. Then he looked more confident, ever so certain of himself and his future. Now however, behind the stoic mask, his face normally bore were hints of uncertainty and a faint shadow behind his eyes.

He quickly looked away, unable to face himself any longer. James' eyes found a leather strop, very similar to the one he used to sharpen his razor on. James, of course, was unaware that such archaic device was rarely found in today's modern world. He was also unaware that the razor in question was Keiko's cousin's heirloom that rarely found use. It still sat quietly in the bathroom cabinet, regardless. James looked over the sink and counter before him with great scrutiny. There was a small, round, wooden container which contained shaving soap. A shaving brush stood by its side, standing ready.

James felt his cheek as he pondered. Faint stubble was already growing rapidly and by this evening he was certain it would be far too unruly for his appearance. He let the back of his palm brush over his cheek one last time before starting his search for that last vital instrument he needed. It took a few minutes, but for once James realized there was a small metal knob on the corner of the mirror he found that slid to the side revealing a small alcove. It was full of various containers, but what he was looking for caught his eye immediately, an antique straight razor with a mother pearl handle.

He took the razor carefully in hand, sliding the mirror back into place. He carefully opened it and examined it in full. It was a simple of design but still very lovely, not something the average commoner would use. It also seemed to be in very good condition, save for a few permanent rust stains on the metal. James closed it gently and placed on the sink counter. He then proceed by turning the left nozzle of the sink, which he bought hot water, getting ready to rid himself of those offensive whiskers. He washed the shaving brush underwater and created a thick lather with shaving soap.

' _Well,'_ James thought to himself as he applied a layer of lather on his cheek. _'At least I can look the part of a gentleman today.'_

Keiko lost herself in a faint daze that her music carried her off into. Nana had stirred a bit earlier, making demands which quickly turned from a loud meows to soft purrs at the arrival of a gentle petting. The Siamese cat relented, and Keiko had fallen back to her bed with Angeline Quinto's voice (the music is _"Somewhere"_ ) singing softly in her ears then mimics her lyrics with her deep singing voice. She wasn't sure of what to do once James got settled in, but had to take things one step at a time. She certainly felt strange at the thought of a fictional character under her care. In the end, it didn't matter. To Keiko, he was a person, perhaps a lost and utterly confused person, but a person none the less.

As she fell under the spell that Nana Mizuki's "Meikyuu Butterfly". James followed the hallway to where Keiko had mentioned she would be found. It seemed that the room at the end of the hall had its door wide open, and that room even led into another. He guessed that these were both "her room", even though there were no sense of privacy with the doors being shut. The first room that meet the hallway was rather cluttered, it was full of bookshelves, a small red couch, two desks with funny looking black chairs each, and two more yet small glass boxes- er, television. Each desk had strange odds and ends and many papers on them, even the floor was currently a storage area with boxes pressed into the corners.

James shook his head, taking in the strange sight of the room quickly. He remained outside the doorframe and lowered his eyes to the floor until he heard a voice, a deep yet beautiful voice which that he never heard before. He gathered that Keiko must be in the other room, but found himself unable to enter a lady's private bedroom chambers. That would be far too presumptuous of an action!

He stayed there for a moment, hearing her strangely singing not similarly from the opera and in a different language _'Japanese'_ he thought correctly, as if it's like she was quoting or talking to someone in a play but beautiful nonetheless. She continued singing without James noticing.

" _nemuri ni tsuku koro anata mo dokoka de  
shiawase na yume o mite iru no  
hoshizora ni KISU o shite ii ko wa mou oyasumi"_

" _mitsumenaide tsukamaenaide  
mayoikonda BATAFURAI  
jiyuu utau dare ni mo mienai hane  
kakushiteru no anata no mune no oku"_

 _(Translation)_

" _As you fall asleep, are you somewhere also  
having a happy dream?  
Kiss the starry sky. It's time for good children to go to sleep."_

" _Don't look at me, don't catch me.  
I'm a butterfly who got lost.  
I sing freely with these wings no one can see.  
They're hiding in your heart."_

He cleared his throat, but receive no response. James leaned forward a bit, peering into the room just beyond. He could make out Keiko lying on her bed, resting atop her sheets, with strange threads coming out of her ear. Her eyes were shut and blissfully unaware of everything. He gently knocked on the door, hoping for some reaction.

While it wasn't Keiko, James did indeed receive attention. Nana hissed on the right side, in full view of him, and proceed to let loose a series of loud yowls at the top of her voice. If James knew either device was, he might have compared the sound to that of a car alarm or smoke detector going off. For a fluffy animal that could snuggly fit in slightly in his hand, it certainly made loud noises.

Both humans were surprised, to say the least. James stood up straight and took a step back, while Keiko, sadly, did not remain dignified. She jumped what felt like a foot off the bed, nearly tumbling onto the floor. Swing into a sitting position with a scowl, she confronted the excited cat.

"NANA! I swear if you don't shut that yowling voice of yours, I'll duct tape closed for you!"

Nana let out one last fading wail, but continued to eye James suspiciously (well, as suspicious as a cat might…) from her below. Keiko turned to face him, her face instantly falling into an expression of embarrassment with a tint of pink blush.

"Oh, er. Hi" was about all she managed to get out.

Seeing Norrington in modern attire (as desperate as the articles of clothing were at the moment) wasn't terribly as strange as she had thought. After all, it wasn't like Jack Davenport wore period clothing all the time. It was odd seeing him in clothes that didn't really fit him well, but still managed to carry his handsome and dignified presence. However, Keiko still felt very hot in the face at the fact of having a handsome and very clear foreign man now nearly in her bedroom. She was a stranger to having a member of a male gender who wasn't a family member besides her cousin, Takashi. But having a man she really didn't know well see her sanctum, messy as it was, felt unnerving. She clapped her hands in a cute way and rubbed vigorously together to get her mind straight.

"Alright! You look um…" She sized him up. He did look funny with his pants a bit short. "Fine…just fine. I mean, it's going to have to do for a few hours."

Keiko plucked the threads from her ear, music reaching the air for a few moments before she silenced it. James could make out a female voice in Japanese and a strange background music playing for a moment before the sound disappeared. He felt compelled to ask about it, but felt rather foolish having to question about every strange machine they came across. From this, James felt insignificant and unintelligent, neither which he ever considered himself, nor thus brought a greater sense of unease that this world brought. Keiko had picked up a small pile of clothes from her dresser after having depositing the white music maker on top of it.

"Why don't you listen to some music while I get changed? I can't claim to be the fastest but it will take a bit." She motioned to the bed for James to sit. He moved aside for her to leave but stood rigid.

' _Did she just…'_ James' face was stoic compared to the storm raging in his brain. _'I'm certain she's not suggesting anything intimate…but it does seem rather indecent…I'll never get used to woman in this age.'_

He managed to find his voice. "I'd rather stand."

Keiko gave a light shrug of her shoulders, taking out a shiny thin box from a black stand. "Suit yourself. I guess I should introduce you to the sound of today slowly. Let's start with something familiar."

With one hand holding her clothes, she popped open the box with her free hand, revealing a round flat disk. She set it down on a low white bookshelf before another sleek device. This was as wide as Keiko's body and about a foot high. In the center were various buttons and a clear case covering three round indentations. On either side of the clear case was what appeared to be a blue fabric stretched over the rest of the façade. With the press of a button, lights shone in response and the clear case parted liked the Red Sea and exposed its insides. She pressed the metal disk into one indent, then another button to close the doors again.

Soon the room filled with strange sound like chimes, then familiar sound of violins and…a harpsichord? James opened his mouth a bit in awe, but it was only a slight parting of his lips. It sounded very much like the sort of music that would he would hear in parties of high society, but usually had musicians to produce it.

"Sound can be recorded these days. Kind of like televisions and movies, without the images. Think about another 200 years away from your time, so it's not terribly new. It gets stored and you can produce it with the right equipment, like my IPod." She pointed to the white box on her dresser. "You can listen to whatever music you want whenever you want on it. Of course…you store only what you purchase, so it's not like I have the whole history of human music ever created." She grimaced a bit. She was lecturing again! "I won't be long. Just enjoy"

As Keiko, retreated for the bathroom a new piece began to play, in fact, it was a variation of a piece that would not be created for over 50 years as far as James was concerned. When the bathroom was shut, he turned towards where the music floated from. Just past it the weary cat hunched over and eyeing him. After a few moments she reached some mutual understanding with James and relaxed to the music.

"O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here." He sigh and sat down on the uncluttered side of the red couch. "How beauteous mankind is… O brave new world that has such people in't." James quoted and held his forehead with his hand.

Nana murmured a faint purr response that seemed to register as some witty retort.

Even Keiko's long hair, she was able to shower and dress in record time. Never really one to gussy herself up if the circumstance didn't call for it, she passed over putting on her light make up or even blow drying her hair. Towel drying to the best of her ability, she brushed her hair back and sealed it a low ponytail down to slightly on her shoulder with her hime-cut bangs still on her forehead. This was her normal day look, simple and not the least bit garish, unlike her high status as a lady, wearing both her traditional kimonos and her fashionable outfits for only important occasions. Why doll up if she had no one to impress? While she might want to appear attractive to James, she promised to help him and flirting with him was certainly counterproductive.

' _Do I want to flirt with him? I never flirt with any men in my school…or outside school. I can't help feeling all…bubbly when he looks at me. He just wants to get home and he just lost his fiancé. He's not going to be interested in someone.'_ She mentally sigh and glanced at the mirror. _'Especially someone like me.'_

When Keiko was not unattractive, she never felt fully attractive either. She felt plain externally, and in the same instance felt very false whenever she tried to make herself aesthetically more appealing. Too much make up felt very heavy and uncomfortable, while light amounts ended rubbing off anyway. She had enough trouble putting in so contacts made her shudder at the thought. Keiko was terrible at blow drying her hair properly, its length didn't help and she had no desire to shorten it. Her clothing was relaxed, as tight tops or anything low cut made her feel very uncomfortable and exposed, Keiko was a pure person and didn't really want wear inappropriate clothes. When she was younger, a few times men had tried to glanced down her top, once for her 16th birthday when her parents were still alive, she felt confident enough to wear a dress, but deeply regretted after a teenaged boy stared indiscreetly at her legs, but was glad that some of her guards back him off and made him chickened out of her sight. Keiko didn't wear a dress anymore unless it was a very formal occasion. In the end, it was her personality that drew people and not the way she looked. She wouldn't have any other way.

Today she wore her two buttoned white t-shirt, a pure sky blue plain sweater and dark blue jeans. She wore a white knitted headband with three flowers on the left side. She felt more in a boot mood than her normal sneakers, even if her black leather boots were rather a bit scuffed at the toe. Examining herself in the mirror then on a normal day, a faint smile danced on Keiko's lips.

' _Ahhhh…it'll do for now, besides I kind of like wearing simple cute outfits for now, at least'_

In perhaps moments of fixing herself she undid her ponytail, towel dried a bit rougher than before, and brush it out again. She convinced herself that it was because only men from James wore their hair that way, and she didn't need strange looks from him. Keiko only prayed that when it dried it would behave. Her hair was rather soft yet a bit messy when dry and would frizz a bit, and even curl up in strange ways causing endless knots to battle. Applying her favorite peppermint and strawberry lip balm, she opened the bathroom door and headed back to James.

He hadn't really moved from his place on the red couch, and his eyes were closed. Keiko guessed he was enjoying the soothing melody that Nova Era provoked, even if his brow was ever so slightly furrowed in thought. She cleared her throat the same as he did earlier, and James opened his eyes slowly to her see her gentle smile.

"Well I guess you like the music." Keiko picked up her black boots from the near closet door and sat down in her desk chair.

"No…well yes, it's actually quite pleasant. I was just thinking, really" James glanced over to her, his cheek leaning against his fist.

"Mmm… I know the feeling. I get lost in my thoughts sometimes too." She pulled her boots and zipped up the side before standing. "Yosh! Let's get going. Aaannnooo…"

Keiko walked over to one of her many white bookshelves and picked her wallet. "Ahh…excellent. I should have to cover for a few outfits. Not sure how long you're going to be here James, so we'll aim for one outfit for each day of the week."

James shifted a bit in his seat uncomfortably, and then let out a slow breath. All this dependency on a young woman made him feel total inner turmoil. On one hand, he was in a time with money, no one who knew him or his position, no understanding of the way the world now worked and surrounded by strange technology. Alternatively, he was a full grown man who happened to be a Commodore of the King's Royal Navy, who was now completely co-dependent on a young, unmarried lady with a high status, but no chaperone to watch over. It made matters worse that not only was she feeding him and housing him, but was now in fact clothing him! When he turned into such a helpless babe? While maybe in this new he had a fresh start with new opportunities, he certainly wasn't going to stand on his own two feet for a while.

' _I can't let go of my ego be so punctured by circumstances.'_ He finally concluded and gained a glimmer of closure.

James just followed Keiko down the hallway, waiting for a moment when she gathered the clothes he had discarded earlier and neatly folded on top of the hamper in the bathroom.

"I guess we should put this away…the guest bedroom doesn't really have a dresser so I'll bring up some luggage for you to store them in. We'll bring up the rest of your things when we get back." She explained while carrying his clothes to the room across from her cousin's bedroom.

As Keiko placed the clothes down on the bed, she felt her nose tickled a bit. Something on them has an odd scent that lingered past her for a brief moment. She rubbed her nose and shrugged a bit.

' _That was…odd. Maybe his cologne.'_

Stepping back outside to the hallway, she smiled at James and headed back downstairs with his steps behind her. Keiko gathered the last bits before their exodus, her phone, her car keys, her favorite beige French coat which she wore proudly and at last passed off a grey coat of her cousin's to James. She pressed her knitted hairband a bit upwards out of nervousness and grinned.

"Ready for your first horseless carriage ride?" She teased.

"James pulled on the jacket and arched his eyebrow a bit. "Do I have any choice?"

Keiko put on a very ponderous face, pressing a finger to her chin and gazing upwards for a moment. Then she quickly snapped her eyes back to him and grinned quite widely.

"Nope. None whatsoever."

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Hey readers, as well you may know, I will be updating the next chapter next week, so be patient for a while, sayonara!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hey guys! Chapter 10 is already out and I must say I got surprised that I already have 7 more reviews than I thought. I'm so HAPPY! Thank you readers for commenting my fanfic! This chapter is slightly shorter that the last. I had finished one part, then got stuck and wanted to give you guys more. Yes. You Sweet lovable you! That had me really struck. Then finally the old ticker got running hot and I belted out more. WHOO! Anyway, time to celebrate now cuz we're on DOUBLE DIGIT CHAPTERS!

ENJOY MINNA!

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When James had first encountered technology from the 21st century, he was quite surprised and even a bit frightened. Certainly years of military training had curbed his reaction, but the shock still echoed faintly inside of him. Everything he encountered was somewhere between childlike awe and mind-numbering fear. His first experience with an automobile was mostly the latter of the two.

But we shall backpedal just a bit before that fateful encounter.

Keiko had thrust a hat and a pair of sunglasses onto James, just in case he was recognize, here in Japan. While Jack Davenport was indeed a British actor with very little work in America, it wasn't worth the risk of poor James having to deal with limelight. Besides, it was also a physiological comfort. She figured he would blend in more (it was a glaring bright day but still slightly cold), and be able to look around without drawing too much attention to himself. In fact, Keiko felt a lot like a mother taking her child to their first day of school. There was that strong anxiety mixed with excitement bubbling under her thoughts.

She shook her head to bring her mind back to matters at hand and gave James a quick once over. He looked quite passable. Her cousin's clothing was slightly baggy but the coat covered that up nicely. She had considered giving him one of her cousin's fedoras to wear, but that was just too silly and opted for a baseball cap that said "Chunichi Dragons" instead. Keiko grinned and James had just raised an eyebrow at the cartoon like blue dragon with dark eyes that posed the next words.

Without any further hesitation Keiko unlocked the door and held it open for James. "Welcome to year 2006, James. Watch your step, please."

Of course, he didn't heed that last warning as well as he would have cared to. James was busy staring with a very mixed expression at the world beyond the refuge of Keiko's home. It was strange, yet at the same time very familiar. Homes as large as small manors back In Port Royal stood far closer than any with status would enjoy, but still had a bit of land for each port. In fact, most of the land was sheltered on each private plot save for a strip that ran along what he first thought was a black river. Of course, it wasn't a river but rather a road with horseless carriages Keiko had mentioned lining the length of it. James took a few steps forward, stumbling slightly over the raised the door jam, and walked down the cemented path.

Keiko closed the door behind them and lock it with her keys, being spring, all the trees except the cherry petals were slightly wet from the snow because the winter has ended this year just yet. The plants were still green that bares In between winter and summer. James saw and was awed by the beauty of the pink flowers on the trees, falling endlessly slowly like a person who lives for a short life, he will ask Keiko later of what are those beautiful trees.

"What on earth is THAT?" James quietly, pointing at the black cables overhead.

"Hmm?" Keiko looked up at the power lines. "Oh. That's what brings electricity to the house." She walked past him over towards her partially dilapidated Saturn. It was a pathetic little four door that didn't even have power locks or windows, and was rapidly closing in on its 16th year of existence. "Best if you don't ask any questions while public. Might get some funny looks from my neighbors."

James nodded and followed her to the right side of the car which she unlocked and opened for him. "Your chariot, awaits you." She bowed and grinned with relish. An eyebrow peeked over the sunglasses and the corner of his lips twitched in amusement.

Keiko giggled a bit after he sat down and shut the door, and then got into the car from the other side. "Okay, first some simple indoctrination. This is a seat belt." She pulled out the strap from her side and showed it to him. "It's a safety precaution. Basically it will stop you from bouncing around the car when I sped up or stop. Pull it across and place the tab here." She let it click into its receptacle.

James nodded and went to do the same. Unfortunately he pulled it too sharply and it didn't want to move past few inches. After a great deal of struggling and getting it out about six inches further, Keiko spared him further from embarrassment and assisted. Of course, this actually further embarrassed James since she had to undo her own seat belt and stretch across his body to reach it. They both managed to keep their faces from flushing red too much.

' _Thank goodness he didn't tangle it like Kaa-chan does. She always gets the clip twisted around backwards and it takes forever to fix. Wow… I didn't realize his chest was so broad….KYAH! Focus…focus.'_ Keiko reprimanded herself as her mental banter swerved towards tantalizing thoughts.

She quickly pulled the seat belt out a good length and handed it to James so he could do the rest himself. _'It's the best way for him to learn, I can't baby him.'_

James was still a bit embarrassed and softly whispered a thank you. Keiko put back on her own seat belt and continued.

"Okay, with that out of the way, let's move on. Basically the rest is simple. Lock the door by pushing the tab inwards." She demonstrated on her own door, which he mimicked. "It's a bit cold for the windows to be opened, but if it was, I would suggest not sticking any extremities out of it while moving. I'm sure you knew that though. Now, this is going to be noisy when I start it so don't worry. Not as bad as cannon fire, I'm sure, but it's going to be a new sound for you. When we drive, there should be other sounds on the road, mostly other cars. Try not to get surprised. We'll have to get on the highway shortly which can move very fast and have a lot of other cars around too. The most important thing is just relax. I'll have this car control and nothing will happen to us.

James nodded and rubbed his hands on his legs. He felt a bit like a child from her words, but his stern military upbringing had given him a steady resolve and nerves of steel. "I shall be fine. Don't worry yourself with me so much, Keiko."

She tucked her hair from her ear with a grin. "Alright. Off we go."

When Keiko turned the key in the ignition, nothing had prepared James for the roar it would first give. That was the best way to describe it, a roar that shook the whole frame of the car. Once the metal beast made its displeasure known, it settled into a loud growl that came from the front. James hadn't tremble at all from the fierce display, but he prayed silently that Keiko wouldn't notice how he gripped his knees and how white his knuckles had become.

The ride was pleasantly simple after that strange start. While logic screamed in James' brain for answer of how the carriage moved with no visible means of support, he stayed very calm and just looked out the window at the houses they passed. In fact, it climbed up a high steep hill better than any horse he had ever seen. He started to relax his hands and even smoothed the creases he had made. Then they started approaching a very high stone wall, which Keiko turned the car to follow for a short distance.

She glanced briefly at James, worried. "I don't want to worry. This is the side of the highway. We have to go over it on a bridge so we can turn around and get on." He just nodded and looked outside.

He saw another car move past them, and when they reach the peak of the hill James saw for the first time urban chaos at its finest. Instinct demanded he shrink back into the seat, but just firmly set his jaw and sat rigid. It was a massive stretch of road, with room for three vehicles to drive side by side in either direction. What seemed like hundreds of cars, in various sizes and colors, hurried under the bridge and off the distance. Even a few very long vehicles sped along, rumbling faintly and adding their own distant sound to the melody of the highway.

Keiko so wanted to reassure James, but she kept her mind focus. The best way to help James now was through concentration on the task at hand. The ride was thankfully short, and James only jumped once when a car that was exceeding the speed limit rushed past the left side to cut her off. James would complimented her nerves, if his own weren't wavering at the moment.

At long last, or 7 minutes if James had indeed been keeping track of the time, the vehicle ambled to a far slower pace before veering off the right and finally halting in a spot surrounded by other, unmoving vehicles. He also tried very hard not to let his sigh of relief be audible as Keiko turned off the shuddering mechanical beast, proclaiming that they have arrived. He shook his head and clicked his tongue, chiding himself at the fact that a few days ago he had bravely faced off against the undead in close quarters, however a mechanical carriage disturbed him so greatly. Before he realized it, Keiko had open his door and held it open wide, well as wide as the space allowed for him to exit.

"Coming? It's the building right there that says 'Old Navy'." She motioned over her shoulder with her thumb.

James nodded, disentangled himself from the safety belt and stepped out. It seemed they stopped in a rather wide open space with other horseless carriages _'cars'_ , he thought himself corrected, were resting and empty. A few slowly meandered past looking for a place to stop, but were far less menacing than earlier. Keiko led him closer to a gathering of buildings that lined themselves tightly together with large bright facades to draw attention, some of the shops here are mostly Japanese and slight less English. After climbing a few steps and walking along the side of one store, the area opened up where the buildings seemed to face inwards on long courtyard. People were walking around, talking to others they were with or seemingly no one in particular. They entered or left the various shops, some carrying bags with a name emblazoned on the side, some just peering into the window of the shops while bundling against the cold.

Keiko tugged his arm gently and motioned him towards this 'Old Navy'. He wondered briefly if he was going to get a 21th century officer's uniform. It would be most interesting to learn the advancements the Royal Navy would have made in these many years. However as they got closer to façade, there seemed to be nothing naval of the sort there.

After passing the glass doors slid open sideways without any warning, James leaned to Keiko and whispered softly. "Er…forgive for asking…but why is it called 'Old Navy'?"

She paused for a moment and the back of her head before answering quietly, "You know what? I have no idea. But the clothes are cheap, considered durable, and comfortable. Speaking of which…this is going to be difficult considering we have to figure out your size."

James really wanted to ask what she meant by 'finding his size', but thought it would be best if he saved any questions for later. He obediently followed her over to a section that seemed to be designated for men's clothing. After relinquishing his sunglasses and hat to Keiko, he examined rows of shirts and slacks for anything that caught his eye. James soon also started to notice it was a far more comfortable temperature inside then the slight cold outside, and Keiko reflected this by opening and removing her heavy coat. He copied her action, down to how she's folding it over one arm while meandering the rows of clothes with him.

"I'm thinking we stick to plain button down shirts. Nothing too complicated, you know? You're going to have to try on a few different ones to see what fits best. Maybe a few T-shirts too. Right now it's about seeing what fits best." Keiko wondered aloud as she picked out a few that caught her eye and held it up to him. "That looks about right…I'll get the next size up and down just to be safe."

Keiko grabbed a few different styles of shirts in various sizes and dumped them in James' arms. She also hurried him over to the jeans section, spending over ten minutes holding various cuts, styles, sizes and lengths over James. This was of course quiet embarrassing as the only proper way to do so involved pressing the garment against its intended destination and seeing if the waist band accommodated James' width. This led to a great deal of blushing on both of their parts as well as a great deal of mumbled apologies from Keiko.

At long last she led James over to a place where he could actually try the clothes on. The attendant looked at the two of them curiously for a moment before handing them a tag and unlocking a changing room door for James. He looked to Keiko a bit despairingly, to which she gave a thumbs up and mouthed "You'll be fine" with a smile.

While she spend the next few minutes on an uncomfortable folding chair and humming a few Backstreet Boys tunes that popped into her head, James found himself pitting battle against various garments. He worked on the shirts first, placing the ones that fit most comfortably in a neat separate pile next to his borrowed clothes. He felt very exposed in what Keiko had called a tea-shirt, but couldn't figure out why it gained such a name. He then spent a few moments very embarrassed after removing it and realizing it was shaped like a capital T.

Then, disaster struck. He was working on the strange blue pants when realized he couldn't close them. Panic faintly set into the back of his mind as he struggled with what to do. He quickly realized that there were really only had two options: either figure it out on his own by whatever means possible, or ask Keiko for help. With flushed cheeks, he quickly chose the former of the two.

It was tricky, but victory was finally achieved. With a heavy sigh he opened the door and peered out, looking for his benefactor. Keiko was slumped in a chair, tapping her foot and humming, but sat up straight and smiled when she noticed him.

"Ahh…at last. I was hoping that the evil t-shirts didn't eat you." She grinned while walking over to him. "Hmm…not bad. Is it comfortable?"

James allowed himself to be examined to be led over to where there awaited three full-length mirrors. "Actually it is. The pants were difficult, but are a great deal more comfortable than they first appeared." He examined his reflection, turning and brushing back a few loose strands of hair out of his eyes. It still felt very odd to be in such an outfit, but it complimented Keiko's own clothing style nicely.

' _It's so very strange, to think that wearing such clothes I'll fit in with this world.'_ James thought to himself as he further studied himself.

A few more trips back and forth from the men's section and the changing rooms provided James with more fashion experience for the 21st century he'd ever cared to know. It all was rather comfortable but very unfamiliar to James since he was used to wearing his uniform most days. Even on his days off he felt a little out of place wearing anything in public that seemed too casual. Here, on the other hand, casual seemed to be openly embraced and he hadn't noticed anyone dressed in a more formal sense. Also this mentioned of getting clothes was far easier than getting everything custom tailored, until they reached the embarrassing situation of undergarments.

Keiko brought a tape measure with her, and thank whatever powers may be did not insist on taking his measurements herself. He did, however, have to feel the blush of her hands when had to adjust ever so slightly where he wrongly measured for his waist. They both were bright red, leaving Keiko to grab a package of underwear and into their carry bag and muttering under her breath. James just cleared his throat and found the floor to be focus of his gaze.

Finally they were done, and Keiko had even managed to find a pair of shoes for James. She explained that they were called "sneakers", and he rebutted that he didn't want to own anything so underhanded. She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head and reassured him that it was fine.

James stayed quiet behind Keiko as she paid for all of his clothes. It seemed like several outfits of similar styles, and a few sleeping in. A woman sat at a counter and rang up the articles of clothes with a very annoying beeping mechanism. James felt his heckles rise when it first announced itself in such a close proximity to him, but looked passively as Keiko was. Actually it seemed to bother her too, she winced when a pair of pants had to be beeped several times before the employee was satisfied.

The saleswoman were kind enough to let James wear his newfound garments after Keiko paid for her purchase. James was very glad to change permanently out of his borrowed clothes and into something that fit him far better. He even tried to care fold them and place them away in the funny looking bags with the rest of his new clothes. As he walked towards the exit, he couldn't help flexing his feet and moving slowly with each step and feeling strange squishy comfort in his new "sneakers".

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 **A/N:** Hey guys, I just wanted to say thank you for those appreciate my fanfic story James N. I am touched and crying with waterfalls of tears, I'm so HAPPY!


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N:_ _I'm back! Yes, a new chapter. Oh man…. This has got to be my longest chapter I have ever written. I didn't get to continue to type this chapter it's because I had prelim exams in one week and it gives me a headache to continue reading and reviewing the subjects for the exam. I really should treat you guys because you are my first fans and you deserve to have this story continue. So does James! We have to make sure he lives!_

 _Anyway enjoy this long chapter!_

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The world outside was still cold which caused them to put back on their heavy coats. Now they could take in the world once again. Some of James nervousness had ebbed away with the fact that he was in a better attire, and he watched the people more carefully now. In fact, he had completely missed the plain fact that between the rows of stores and their pathways was a stretch of some strange statues with odd decorations where a group of 3 people kneeled and prayed. His brow furrowed a bit as he tried to examine what looked like a wooden man wearing a robe standing his bared feet with his hand raised hanging with odd beads and a very odd thin red sticks that smoke as Keiko was greeted by an middle aged woman in a shop with traditional Japan accessories and equipment. He seemed to be curious of those odd objects the woman was selling, some are a bit familiar like bracelets and necklaces but not as shiny like jewels that woman usually wear, but admitted that they were beautiful and well crafted. He went beside Keiko, not understanding their language while the two woman were talking.

 _~Both speaking in Japanese~_

" _Keiko-sama, it's so nice to see you again"_

" _It's nice to see you too, Shizune-san"_ Keiko smiled kindly.

" _How was your day? I can't help but feel concern of your safety since after your parents died 5 years ago and your cousin abroad in Paris for 3 years."_ The woman puts her hands on the young lady's soft hands holding them tightly.

" _It was alright… and don't worry, I am capable of taking care of myself"_

Shizune sincerely smiled then looked at the young foreign man beside Keiko.

" _Keiko-sama, who was this very handsome man beside you?"_ Keiko looked at James then faced Shizune when the woman continued now in English.

"Is he your boyfriend?" The young Lady blushed furiously when she raised both her hands shaking while James confused with the word "Boyfriend", but realizing Keiko's sudden blush and reaction _'Don't tell me …it means…'_ he thought with his eyes widen and a bright red in his cheeks.

"N-no, he's not my boyfriend! He's just…uh…a friend from England" Her breath then slows down with less panic.

Shizune giggled at her lady's sudden protest but turns to the man beside her lady then made a respectful bow.

"I'm Shizune Akiyama, it's an honor to meet you…" James reaches her hand and did the same bow as the woman then kisses her hand.

"James…James Norrington, it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Shizune." The woman smiled with delight then faces Keiko.

"I've never thought this man was not only handsome but a gentleman too."

Keiko blushed but then grinned at Shizune's compliment with James ' _Well he is from the 18_ _th_ _century'._ After Keiko and James' short conversation with Shizune, they both greeted with goodbyes to her as she did the same. Keiko saw a mother and a father with their adolescent daughter spending time with each other praying at the small altar and seemed a bit sad reminding of her and her parents then walks away fast from all that and back to the car.

James hurried after her with a few bags in hand and whispered with some urgency to his companion. "Erm…Keiko…what was that I saw when we left? The strange statue and all?"

At the moment Keiko was sighing at the paper receipt in her hand and trying to figure a way to explain how she on a clothes shopping spree out of the blue to her folks. She looked up to James and responded with an "hmm?" She shook her head as her brain caught up. "Oh yeah. Well, that's Omoikane, he is the god of wisdom and intelligence. I think there were some of him along with the other gods and goddesses beside the stores, most of the families went to pray and blessing them a good luck…I've sometimes visited there."

James felt dreadful, having glazed over the last comment then remembering after he and Keiko left, she looked at the family praying with a sad look on her face. "Oh…I understand, you must have loved them dearly, right?" She nodded when he continued to ask.

"Forgive me for asking, but…When you mentioned the most of the family praying…."

Keiko struggled to raise a brow. Struggled in the sense she never could really do it despite all the practice, which made her feel more foolish to the fact she couldn't. In the end, it was strange look of disbelief towards James with a slight twitch from her lips that leaned towards a grim. "Not everyone in the world is Christian, James. Neither are those who do not practice it heathens."

James stopped for a moment in thought. "So…What are you- I mean…"

' _Egads sounds awful. Nice way to get a taste of new shoes James, just stick your foot right into your mouth.'_ he bitterly thought with a mental slap on his forehead.

"…what religion do you practice?" he supplemented quickly, praying his words didn't sound too rushed.

"I'm Shintoism…it is a Japanese religion, incorporating the worship of our ancestors and nature spirits and a belief in sacred power in both animate and inanimate things." She motioned with her head for him to follow and she kept walking towards her car. James followed and listened carefully. "Look, I hoped we wouldn't get into a religious debate or anything. I follow a certain faith and you follow yours. I respect what you believe and hold dear, and I would expect no less from you. Anyone can believe what they want, as long as it doesn't include hate or hurting others of course, but in the end it doesn't matter and shouldn't. What is important is the fact that you believe."

They finally reached Keiko's car. She unlocked the trunk with a bit of difficulty, opened it and placed her paper bags inside. James still had an unreadable look on his face, even as their hands made contact and Keiko took the shopping bags he carried and put them away. She closed her trunk with a slight slam and took his hand. James looked up to her with a surprised look, which she ignored as she fanned out his fingers with his palm towards her.

"It's like this. The center of your hand is God and religion is your fingers." Keiko explained wisely as James looked from her to his hand, intently now. "See? Different paths that stand alone but lead to the same source." Her fingertips grazed down the length of his fingers to his palm as she spoke. "No path is better or worse, no right or wrong. There is just what is right for you and what is wrong for you. But in the end, we're all going to the same place…we are the same people." This she punctuated by pressing her open palm to his.

James flexed his fingers in thought. What she said was surprisingly…clear. It didn't matter, and it was a road for a person to choose, and to choose only for themselves. Maybe this century changed his thinking, or jump to this world altered his mind, but felt so right. His mind turned these words over and over again. He remembered looking at people with slight disdain for following other faiths, even going as far to call them heathens for not embracing the same faith. As if a veil lifted from his mind, he realized how horribly vain it was to feel that way. This wasn't what faith was about…it wasn't about chastising others and saying "I'm right and you're wrong." It was a connection with God, and for each person that connection was personal and unique. He looked past his fingers down to Keiko's face, which at the moment was currently beaming up to him with slight encouragement. He could feel tears stabbing at his eyes and wanting to escape, but still just smiled contently and nodded.

Keiko didn't need to say anything else. There were no words for his eyes spoke volumes. She mentally wiped her forehand, thankful that this clash of cultural thinking was so easily handled. Her words as true in her heart as they were on her lips, and she wished more than anything for James to see the importance of acceptance. Her eyes shifted slightly from James to their joined hands, which she was currently enjoying the sensation it invoked. Slowly letting her fingers slide down and her hands dropping from his, she enjoyed every last tingle it drew into her.

James slowly let his hand drop as well to his side. It took a while before he gained enough courage to speak again, and when he did it was rather soft. "Thank you"

Keiko tilted her head a bit, and smiled in a cute way that was purely her own. She shrugged faintly and said in Japanese to make him confuse a little, "Mondaide wanaito, anata no kangei, jēmuzu" James slightly raised his right eyebrow before she giggled of his confusion of her language but then grinned.

"It means 'Not a problem…and your welcome, James" James looked at her with a smile as she continued. "C'mon."

With that she walked back towards the mall with James following. He stuffed his hands into his pockets for extra warmth. He had left his hat and sunglasses in the car, feeling comfortable enough with Keiko not to wanting to hide himself from this new world. They walked slowly around the outdoor mall, James examining every fashion for men in a glass window, mostly for wearing formal attire he assumed, with a slight impressed look on his face. He even paused when he noticed a man talking loudly into a small box held close to his ear. Nudging Keiko gently with his elbow, he motioned with a questioning face towards that particular man.

"Cellphone" she whispered softly, "I have one too. A lot of people do, in fact. It lets you talk to people far away, from just about anywhere. That is…as along as it has power and a signal of course."

"Anywhere?" He raised his eyebrows at this, whispering back as to not draw attention.

"Mmmhmm. Here." She fished her cellphone out of her pocket, slid it open and handed it to James. As he took it in hand she whispered gently. "Please…try not to push any buttons."

He just nodded and stared at the small contraption. He slid it shut and reopened it, just like she had a few times. Each time it slid open to reveal numbers and two strange symbols which all lit up. Even the cover to lit up with a tiny window that had the time and date, along with a picture of Keiko and assuming that would be her cousin. James silently raised an eyebrow at the before returning it to her.

"That would have been great use back at Port Royal. Certainly is far simpler having such a device than sending messages back and forth from England, having to wait months on end for a response."

Keiko shrugged a bit, sliding the cellphone back into her pocket. "Technology is strange. First it was steam power, which brought around an entire new age to humanity. After that, there was electricity, lighting up the world quickly. Cars and airplanes brought new methods of travel. Things really picked up once computers were invented. After that…well. With new methods of harnessing technology, it advances and speeds up the process of invention. You missed a few impressive hundred years' worth of human creation."

James frowned slightly, kicking a small pebble in front of him as though it had some offense. "Change is supposed to happen slowly…not abruptly."

"Not true. Change can happen in any way in any form. Adaption is the key to survival…and in a world that changes faster and faster you have to try and keep up." She frowned realizing how depressing that sounded. "It's not all bad. The world still has its problems but we try our best. As for me, I'm going to try my best to get you home."

James nodded slowly and sighed, letting his breath leave a faint cloud of vapor in the air. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he could tell Keiko that wasn't convinced he wanted to leave. Certainly the world had change, but somewhere in the vast opportunity this time bought could be a place for him. Could he leave such a bizarre and wondrous place behind so easily? Even if he did go back, everything he learned here would change his perspective permanently. Port Royal would never be the same in his eyes.

He looked up as he felt Keiko tugging at his sleeve. She grinned with excitement and even a bit of childish innocence. She had been talking a bit more before his mind had wandered. "C'mon! I know the perfect place for us to eat lunch."

He nodded and gave a small smile. She was as playful as Elizabeth sometimes, and had even less care for social standards for a woman of her age. Or maybe another strange acceptable behavior of the times? Whatever the case, James tried to match her steps with her tugging as she led him to a small building sandwich between two others. The sign had a fancy white script proclaiming it 'Pizza Hut' with large windows, a few green, white, and red flags that he didn't recognize.

She opened the door and breathed in deeply. The eatery radiated wonderful warmth, and strange music played from some unseen source. As Keiko approached the man standing behind the counter James caught the scent of…he wasn't quite sure. It smelt like warm bread and something else that didn't smell terrible at all. He saw various flatbreads covered with something behind the glass at the counter. The man behind the counter recognize Keiko as he bowed with respect as he knew who she was, of course all the people of Kyoto knows who she was.

 _~Both speaking in Japanese~_

" _Keiko-sama, welcome to Pizza hut, what order would you like?"_ the man behind the counter asked. James tilted his head slightly. Was this man wearing an apron?

" _Please, no formalities, just Keiko-san is fine"_ she smiled at the man with kindness.

" _Of course"_ The man smiled and blushed a bit. James noticing the man blushing and seemingly smitten in front of Keiko, He may not understand their short conversation in Japanese but furrowed his eyebrows hinting that he was a little Jealous without Keiko noticing it. _'Why do I feel like…I'm jealous…no I'm not jealous, just feeling irritated…yes, yes just irritated'_

" _Okay, what order would you like, Keiko-san?"_ He repeated the question with a smile.

" _Yes, I'd like two plain slices annnd…"_ Keiko looked around, and then out a small 'aha!' at the sight of a box in the corner of the room with a clear glass door. She opened it and quickly pulled out two bottles that looked like cloudy rum _."…Two Snapples. To stay."_

The man nodded and turned away, taking two sections of the flatbread and setting it down on a metal plate with a handle. He then opened an oven, that was easy to tell from the heat, and slid the two pieces in.

Keiko smiled up to James as he watched. "Well I figured since it's your first visit to Japan and our world, you should try some authentic pizza."

He looked back, then back to the oven. "Uh, yes." James got very nervous that his speech might gain unwanted attention. He wracked his brain trying to think of how to not sound oddity. "Not a problem." James repeated what Keiko had said earlier.

She grinned almost in pride at his quick uptake to the lingo of the new world. She pointed over to a glossy gray surface, a table he guessed, with two red round protruding seats that stemmed from the underside of the table. "Go ahead and sit down, I'll bring the food over when it's done.

He nodded and was unable to hold back making a brief bow, though it was mostly just a slight inclination of his body. James got closer to the table and strange seats, carefully sitting down. When the red chair swiveled underneath him he reflexively grabbed onto the counter, causing a lone man sitting near the entrance to pause taking a sip from his cup. James' lips twitched slightly in an uncomfortable smile and he waited for the man to look away before testing the rotating motion of the seat more to assure himself it was stable.

Soon Keiko sat down across from him, thankfully, blocking the other man's view of James incase he did something to draw unwanted attention to himself. She shook the bottle of the 'Snapple' individually, placed the bottles on the table and took a white napkin from a tray she carried. Whisking away crumbs that must have been left behind by the previous occupant, her nose scrunched with distaste as she muttered something about "messy people". When the surface met her satisfaction she placed down the red tray revealing what James only surmised to be pizza. It was triangular bread with what looked like tomatoes and melted cheese on a round thick paper plate with glossy paper stained with grease under it.

She sat down and placed one plate in front of James and the other before herself, and even setting down a few napkins for both of them. While James studied the pizza and what made it so wonderful, Keiko scrapped off a shiny clear coating on the Snapple bottles and opened them with a satisfying 'pop'. She held out a thin, wrapped tube to him.

"Wanna try a straw?"

He looked up to her slightly confused. Keiko glanced past him briefly then around herself. She unwrapped the tube and slipped it an open bottle of Snapple. James shifted a bit uncomfortably as her pink lips wrapped around the tube and pursed, but he couldn't draw his eyes away. The contents of the liquid traveled up the tube into her mouth, and when she looked up to him she stopped suddenly and blushed.

"Just uh…" Keiko spoke softly and held out another wrapped tube to him. "Suck it up."

He looked away politely and concentrated very hard on the pizza. "I think I'll try another time."

She nodded and reached over to the tray, picking up a white plastic fork and knife. Setting it down on James' napkin she explained. "You can eat this by holding it, but it might be too hot. You can cut it into pieces if you want, but the knife isn't very good. Oh!" She picked up the last remaining items on the tray, two small glass shakers. "This one's a garlic powder," she held up the one with small yellowish white grains, "and this is oregano," she held the other which had dried green shreds of leaf. "Both are a definite must for pizza, but don't add too much. Especially the garlic."

James quietly absorbed this, looking more at the shakers than Keiko. He still couldn't quite make an eye contact again just yet. She shook out some of the garlic and oregano onto her pizza, lifted it with both hands unceremoniously and started eating from the pointed end. It looked rather barbaric to eat with one's hands to James, but he never was squeamish over eating a piece of bread or an apple with his hands. He sprinkled a light dusting of oregano over the pizza and chose to pass on the garlic. Testing the knife and fork on his own pizza, he found that Keiko was correct. The knife was horribly dull and even bent under force.

Glad that she had taken many napkins, James gave up and mimicked her actions in picking up and holding the piece of pizza. He found it was a bit easier if he folded it slightly and the bread was willing to comply. Finally, without too much hesitation, he took a small bite out from the end.

And it wasn't that half bad. In fact it was quite tasty, but the faint trace of grease on it was not terribly desirable. Still, overall it was appetizing and it didn't take much time to eat. James set it down to wipe his hands on the paper napkins and opened his bottle Snapple. The coating was a bit tricky, and he politely refused Keiko's help when she tried to assist him. Finally successful, he twisted the cap off and took a sip.

The brown liquid tasted like tea mixed with mint, but it wasn't a very good tea. James was used to having finely brewed tea back in Port Royal, and this was cold like someone left it out unattended. He must have given it a look of disgust because Keiko was laughing and covering her mouth.

"What IS this?" James demanded in a hushed tone.

"It's tea!" She was still chuckling and had to put her pizza down.

"It's icy cold!"

"That's why it says 'iced tea' on it."

"This is the worst brew I've ever tasted…" James muttered and stared down at the bottle.

Keiko was now having a hard time controlling her laughter, having to bend over the table to stifle the sound. He felt a bit insulted, but guessed that getting a good tea outside of one's home was difficult now at days.

"Is it **really** that bad?" she wiped away a few tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes.

James sighed. Maybe he was overreacting. "No…it's just strange having cold tea. I've had much better brews but it's not disdainful."

"Not disdainful. I'll be sure to write that to the company." James looked up and started to protest but Keiko held out her hand and stopped him. "No no, I'm kidding. If you think this is bad, I can't imagine how horrible Lipton would taste to you."

His jaw dropped a bit. "It's worse?"

"To me anyway. Snapple is actually one of the better bottled teas out here…and I like mint flavored."

James took another sip, not wincing so much at the flavor. It didn't taste as bad this time around. He set down the bottle and muttered to himself. "Bottled tea, huh? That would have been hand those long months at sea."

The two ate quietly, eating pizza and sipping their tea. In fact, Keiko ate her pizza quite quickly and when James questioned her about this she just shrugged and said "Habit". She cleaned her space and sat back down, slowly sipping her iced tea and waiting for James to finish. When they were done, they left the warm pizzeria for the cold outdoors once more.

The air stung his face harshly, and when he drew in his breath the cold seeped into his chest briefly. It definitely would take a while for James to accustom himself to frigid weather once more. Keiko didn't seem terribly fazed, but did dig herself further into her coat.

"A-ano…want to leave now?"

James looked down to her, putting all his buttons higher to cover his exposed neck from the biting wind. "If you wish. Staying would be acceptable as well, if there is anything you wish it see."

"Maybe to the bookstore?" Keiko pointed down the branch of path they hadn't traveled down, since the mall was rather L shaped and they now stood close of the intersection of the L. "It's not terribly crowded small compared to others. Maybe we can up a book on History so you can catch up, but there isn't a vast selection."

"I think that would be more than adequate."

She started walking, then paused and looked back at him. "Uh just so you know, you can say something like "Sure, "Okay" or "That sounds good". It's not rude or anything, just that most people now don't use extravagant words for a yes or no."

James scratched the back of his head that was a little cold without his hat. "Uh, sure."

"Let's hurry, it's a little bit freezing out here and the bookstore will be nice and warm."

That was enough motivation for James, and he walked in long strides after Keiko. They passed a quite a few people carrying packages, and had to carefully maneuver around them. The variety of stores was impressive, there was a place of shoemakers both Japanese and English at the same time called "Foot Action", a tailor called Aeropostale, a jeweler for some reason named "Infinity", and something called a "Radio Shack". He wasn't sure what a radio was or why it needed to be in a shack. The worst was he passed a store displaying female figurines dressed in a very exposing lingerie, causing his face to burn. Keiko seemed more interested on avoiding from colliding in other shoppers, unaware his distress over "Victoria's secret" being uncovered.

Finally she tapped his arm and pointed to a sign proclaiming "National bookstore." James was glad it wasn't next to the provocative lingerie store. He sighed from the warmth of the bookstore bought, opening his coat slightly and following Keiko in further. It was rather packed, both with people and books, with shelves on the walls running floor to ceiling in height. Most people were on line waiting to pay their goods, while others stood and flipped through various books. The two of them carefully passed by with many 'excuse me's' and 'pardon's' until they found the history section.

It gave James a strange thrill of excitement standing with hundreds of years' worth of history before him. All that time, packed into thick texts to stand the test of time. Then James felt strangely dejected, realizing his life back in Port Royal probably amounted to barely a footnote in history. While that wasn't his purpose for being in the Royal Navy, it certainly made him feel small in scope of things. Would anyone back at Port Royal remember him? Maybe his officers and some of the marines, but once they got a replacement for James there wouldn't be much need to mention his name.

Keiko had a hard time finding anything useful though, her eyes quickly moving over the covers of books and intense with concentration. There was a large amount of books dealing with history all over the world, and James was tempted to read through all of them. The ones about ancient Rome and Egypt seemed most tempting but Keiko ignored these and brushed the tip of her finger over various European history books.

When her finger paused on a title about Seven Years' War, she looked up to James with an inquiring face. He frowned a bit and whispered as quietly as he could, "I'm not that old."

Keiko blushed and apologized quietly and resumed looking through the books. She grabbed on about "The Age of Reason", and after a bit more searching extracted a book on early American history. He raised his eyebrow at the last title while she finished looking through the selection and not finding anything new.

"Sorry, there doesn't seem to be much here." Keiko apologized. "I'll look around and see what I can find at home."

James skimmed through the books while they waited patiently on line. It seemed that Keiko was intent on getting books closer around the time when he was from than anything too modern. ' _One step at a time, I guess'_ he reasoned.

After purchasing the books, James absorbed himself in the book on early American history. A few times Keiko had to stop him from colliding straight into another pedestrian, and after the third time she took the book from him and replaced it in the plastic bag. Once they returned to the car and she made certain that James was properly buckled in the car, she allow him to read the book once again. The ride vastly improved from his previous ride, as he was too absorbed in his readings to panic over the terror of noisy cars and closely passing vehicles.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Hey readers, it's been a while since I updated the last chapter. Anyway, i just wanted to remind you guys that I won't be posting the new chapter until I finished all my exams from school, it seriously gives me an aching back and a bit of tiredness. but don't worry I won't abandoned the story like Lahara did since she is now entrusting me to complete the story. So I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter, Sayonara!"

 **Disclaimer:** Again, I do not own the Pirates of the Carribean, nor Commodore James N. but Keiko Asano is my OC.

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"Finally we're home" Keiko sighed with a bit of an annoyance for she waited impatiently for two hours of traffic from the highway along with James feeling irritated of the honking sound around the horseless carriage or _'car'_ that makes his ears screaming inside. She parked her car from the side of her house. She turned the key clockwise making the car vibrated for a second as it stopped. She got out of the car first and went to the other side to open for James since he's still new to this world. They walked towards the door and opened with a sound of a squeak. They both removed their coats and hanged it on the hook before going up the stairs.

"Before we go do some things to take care off, I better bring your new clothes to the guest room where you will be sleeping in for the time being." Keiko said while going upstairs along with James from behind who only replied with a nod.

Keiko opened the door to the guest room as she puts the two paper bags on the side of the table cabinet then puts out all of the new clothes for James. She was about to fold the clothes when she felt a hand on her left shoulder as she turn around and looked up at James.

"Please let me do the folding for my new attires, you've done enough for me." James said with a bit of concern for her.

"Okay." Keiko said with a smiled and nodded as she went towards the open door, but stopped her tracks for she turned around to see James folding his clothes neatly. "If you need anything, just come towards me and ask." He looked up to see her smile and returned the same. "Alright." He replied as he continued to fold when a heard the door was shut quietly.

Keiko went towards her own room and changed her clothes from top to bottom then put them on the bed a bit messy. She got her clean clothes from the cabinet and wore her pink polka dot t-shirt and a blue jeans mid-thigh shorts.

 _I hope things are going to be okay for now since James is living in my home temporary_. She thought with a bit of worry as she continued. _What if he can't get home…what if we can't find a way for him to get back into his own world?_ Keiko's thoughts have been going around circles with worries and a bit of less hope, but she shook her head to her own positive way to find hope for James to find his way back home as she got out of her room then went downstairs to the kitchen since it's almost dinner at the evening. She opened the freezer on the fridge and took out a frozen pork and went to the bottom large door and took out some of the ingredients then puts all of them in the kitchen table, before she's going to prepare cooking, she washed her hands nicely and proceed on making out the ingredients on the table.

While Keiko was preparing dinner, James puts the last garment on the lower cabinet while putting the other garment on the bed, a blue buttoned T-shirt 'from what he had known just now' and started to changed his new attire leaving his new pants on, he wore the blue t-shirt and buttoned them from top to bottom.

' _I wonder what she is doing now.'_ He thought as he got out of his guest room then went first to her room beside his room, but she's not there, only her cat who is sleeping on the clean rug since the door was opened, he always thought that people should close the door privately before leaving, but since he is now in the 21st century or _'in another universe'_ He can see that people like her can leave their doors opened that are not private only when she was home alone. He shook his head as he continued to go downstairs to check up on her. James went through the kitchen and saw Keiko in a different clothing, which made him blush madly at the sight of her, women in his time don't wear those kind of clothes that are revealing as he look at her exposing legs up to her thigh at her short blue trousers, he can't keep his eyes off her legs and her beautiful appearance until he heard her singing, but this time it's English, he looked up at her then continued listening her voice again unnoticed while Keiko was continuing her cooking and singing at the same time.

 _I got my ticket for the long way round  
Two bottles of whiskey for the way  
And I sure would like some sweet company  
And I'm leaving tomorrow  
what you say_

 _When I'm gone...  
When I'm gone…  
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me by my hair  
You're gonna miss me everywhere  
Oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

 _When I'm gone  
When I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me by my walk...Ohh  
You're gonna miss me by my talk  
Oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

 _I got my ticket for the long way round  
The one with the prettiest of views  
It's got mountains, it's got rivers  
Its got sights to give you shivers  
But it sure would be prettier with you_

 _When I'm gone  
When I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
You're gonna miss me by my walk  
You're gonna miss me by my talk  
Oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone __**(Repeat 'when I'm gone' chorus 3 times)**_

She finished her lyrics then made an 'hmm' sound mimicking the repeated song that she sung until she turned around and saw James staring at her the whole time. _How long did he just stand there?_ She asked in thought as she was interrupted when she heard James spoke.

"You have a lovely singing voice." He said calmly and smiled but his eyes glimmered with praise, he had encountered people singing but they only sing in a slow music and tone.

"Oh, thank you." Keiko blushed at his comment. "I used to love singing when I was a little girl. But until I reached my coming of age, my parents never allowed me to follow my own steps as a singer, but instead, my parents want me to take my responsibility as the head leader of my clan." She explained with a fake smile hiding her sad expression, but James can see that she does not agree to follow her father's footsteps since he is the clan leader.

"I see… not all parents accepted their children to follow their own footsteps." He said grimly.

"Yeah." She replied but she quickly changed the topic as she was almost finished with her cooking. "Anyway, I've made some food for dinner so where would you like to eat...um… in the dining table or… in my 'movie theater'?" she asked.

James was a bit confused from the two words called 'movie theater', he knows what theater means, but a 'movie theater' while eating and watching the theater, that's new to him so instead he wanted to go the new fashion way.

"I can assume you want to eat at the 'movie theater', I will just follow where you want to go."

"Okay, then so movie theater it is then." Keiko smiled as she put two bowls on the table while telling James to sit at the furniture to wait for their food to arrive. He sat on the couch while waiting for Keiko. In front was the television if he pronounced that correctly, a thin box below the TV and two rectangular boxes with round shapes in front. He heard footsteps as Keiko puts a tray of two bowls, two glasses of lemonade juice and two utensils of spoon and fork on the table.

James stared at the strangely bowl with odd brown rice and assuming that is meat with egg and a sprinkle of vegetable toppings.

"Um, Keiko, why do you put food in a bowl, you know that this bowl is for soups."

"Well, not all bowls are for soups in our country, in Japan, we put them both actually." She smiled awkwardly. "And also that is Pork Katsudon, it is one of our country's foods, since this is your first time here in Japan, you will have to try one of our foods…and it is my favorite dish." She explained.

"Well, I guess I have no choice but to try it then." James said as he was about to eat when Keiko puts a hand on his arm.

"Before we could start eating, I will select on what movie we will be watching, but let's start with the history, shall we?"

"Of course, I would love to know all about them." He replied.

"Okay then." She went towards the DVD player and found something that will interest James, she picked up the case of the DVD and opened it where the DVD was placed. She put it on the disc drive and pressed the button to close it, she sat beside James and looked beside him who is curious on what he is going to watch.

"So what movie are we going to watch, Keiko?"

"We are going to watch _'The last Samurai'_ , you still remember what 'Samurai' means right?"

"Yes, I do, it means 'to serve', correct?" he answered correctly.

"Yes, so we are going to watch about how the Samurai was no longer exist in this world, and it takes place after your century in between 1876 and 1877." Keiko explained as she looked down and smiled a bit. "When I was a little girl, my grandfather used to tell me stories about them on how brave and honorable they are, they do not fear death and they died with honor, my ancestors from the Asano clan were also samurai warriors… I've always wanted to become a samurai like my ancestors, however since the days of the samurai have ended, the samurai no longer exists in this century, but fortunately the teachings of the samurai lives on." She looked at James who is calmly listening to her with amazement in his eyes.

"I see… your people were very brave and wise." He said with an understanding tone. "I wish I was brave as your people are. For me, I feel like I'm nothing, my father saw me as a disappointment in shame after I was saved by a pirate, he said that I would rather die than be saved by a pirate."

"You are, James, you really are." She protested to say the words that will comfort him then continued. "When I first watch you in the movie, you were brave, courageous and you have a sense of honor in you, I know you are, James, I really do. My father always told me _to be brave and remember that bravery is not the lack of fear, but the ability to move forward in spite of fear. With courage, you will dare to take risk, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble_. So don't say that you are nothing and you are not a disappointment in your father's eyes. Because I know you are the bravest and the most courageous man I have ever met." She explained with a bit of blush in her cheeks _Oh Kami-sama, I have crossed the line, didn't I?_

James widened his eyes with a surprise expression, he never thought that someone would say like that to him, he looked into her dark brown eyes with a growing admiration between them. Keiko did the same as she looked into his emerald green eyes deeply, feeling something that sparkles around them.

"Thank you…Keiko, I am truly grateful for your kind words…"

She smiled serenely and nodded as they heard the movie was about to start. The opening of the movie was very new to James. In his world, only actors and actresses entertained the audience from the stage with red curtains that will open for the start of the play and close for the end of story. Now in the 21st century, it was no longer in a stage they are now watching but a moving image inside the TV and only two people as the audience.

He heard the musical sound first and watched the moving image of the beginning where the scene shows the early morning skies and mountains on each moving image until he heard a person talking in a screen, like he is narrating the story as he continued to watch the movie where the scene was now a beach with the sun rising from the ocean.

 _They say Japan was made by a sword… they say the Gods took moral blades into the ocean, and when they pulled it out… four perfect drops fell into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan._

 _I say…Japan was made a handful full of brave men. Warriors willing to give their lives what it seems to become a forgotten word called… honor…_

James felt amazed with the mixture orchestra music and cultural music as the back ground of the beginning of the movie, the words that he heard from the narrator saying _Japan was made a handful full of brave men. Warriors willing to give their lives what it seems to become a forgotten word called honor._ He understand why Keiko's people did, that the brave men from Japan are very much brave and sometimes he wished he was, but he remembered Keiko's words that made him feel that he was also brave like the samurai warriors, he smiled at that thought as he continue to watch the movie. He saw the scene where a man wearing an odd dark brown robe, a familiar sword in the below side of his left thigh from he had now known to be called a _Katana_ from what he heard from Keiko and his eyes were closed. He was sitting in a green dried grass, crossing his legs and his hands were clasped together below whom he think he was relaxing at the fresh air until the scene was changed in a fading way, where it was in a forest with a bit of a fog then saw a flag of a tiger and the armed warriors called the samurais with the weapon liked spears taming over the white tiger. The scene was the close up of the tiger's eyes then changed to the man's scene when he opened his eyes quickly then it had gone dark.

After the scene was now faded meaning, he saw a Japanese word that appeared from the dark screen and also appeared the title of the movie ' _The Last Samurai'_. His eyes were shimmering with both amazement and nervousness at the same time. He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy this moving image… _or movie_ , he amusingly thought as he and Keiko watched the movie silently with relaxation.

* * *

 **A/N:** For the ones who haven't watch the movie "The last Samurai, you better watch it, it was actually a great movie, the music, the culture of Japan, the drama and the based on the events of the story are utterly amazing!

See you at the next chapter ;)


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